Apocalyptic
by Ivisbo
Summary: 'Maybe we're all zombies' Those thoughts left me with a gun to my temple, ready to opte out. This world was too hard for me now and I couldn't surive alone. It would be my savior that showed me the difference between humans and the walking dead.Grimm/Ichi
1. Prologue

This story is inspired by The Walking Dead, so for all that have seen it (and if you havnt you NEED to ;0) you may notice some similarities in characters/slang. For anyone that has seen Zombieland, I'll have those rules installed and ones from The Zombie Survival Guide. Lots of rules to keep up with...gotta keep my characters alive...  
>Speaking of which, and I will put this is bold for people who dont read the authors note (As I never do XD)...<br>**NO ONE IS SAFE  
><strong>If you think you got the story figured out, think again. I may not be the best writer, but I have imagination. So if you think someones gonna show up right in the nic of time to save the main character...  
>think again :)<br>Oh and...if you don't like yaoi, dont read. It wont be for a while, but this is a Grimm/Ichi story. So go ahead and click out of here if you aren't okay with that. I guess you could read until it got weird for you, but I really don't see the point.  
>Also, I would like to thank my beta, Ciel Leon, who will also be helping out with the comic relief so this whole adventure doesn't get too stressful. You should all thank her if you review.<p>

Let the zombie killing commence...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

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><p><em><strong>Prologue- <strong>_**The Day the Dead Walked**

I was in med school when the virus first hit. We were the first hospital in America to admit a ZX8 patient- the first hospital to witness the pandemic that would lead to the end of humanity.

At first, the doctors were baffled. The patient, a 32 year old man of good health, seemed to just be suffering from a bad case of the flu. When the fever hit 105 degrees, tremors started, and the man stopped respounding to outside stimuli's. It was obvious his case was not one from our text books. He was kept in quarantine and the few times I went to check his vitals and blood he seemed to be dead. The only hint to the life remaining was the fast paced rise and fall of his chest, the wild, uncontrolled beating of his heart, and his sightless gaze directed towards the ceiling. His eyes, which only a day before had been a dark brown, were now light blue and bloodshot.  
>No one was surprised when three days after he was admitted, the man passed away.<p>

The doctors and specialist could not figure out the reason for the sudden death, but a human body can only take so much stress before it fails. Three nurses, two men and a woman were in the room prepping the body for the morgue when it happened- I was on call that night, reading an old magazine in the staff lounge when the screaming started. Having spent a good amount of time in the ER (over the two and a half years of rotations), I was used to the screaming of patients.  
>But the yells I heard that day will never be forgotten.<p>

At first I thought it was an animal, the way it started as a growl and seemed to grow in size. The staff lounge was three rooms away, but the noise still seemed to fill the room and sink into my bones, causing a chill to pass through me. The noises soon resembled a human scream, only deeper and more viscous. My reaction was like everyone else in that wing and soon there was a large crowd surrounding the quarantined room.  
>I was tall enough to easily see over my collegues into the massacred room. The two male nurses were backed against the wall in one corner of the room, eyes fixed on the opposite side of the room with a look that I could only describe as pure horror. Crouched on the ground was the patient- now alive by some miracle. I was confused for only a second before I grasped what he was crouched <em>over<em>. The woman, a short girl of only 24 that was on her first year of rotations, a girl that I had lunch with on multiple occasions, was being eaten alive. Her stomach was a shredded apart, intestine spewed out on the floor as the patient ripped hand full's of her innards and stuffed them into his mouth. He was oblivious to the screams of horror from the crowd outside the room, his sights only set on the feast before him. The girl was still alive; screaming and trying to pull away from the creature…only her screams seemed to fuel his fervor. I took all of this in within a matter of seconds before security showed up and started pulling the crowd away.  
>I watched from behind the nursing station where everyone had been pushed back to as security gun downed the cannibalistic man. It took six shots; the final went straight through his skull, for the man to finally fall forward onto the twitching body of the nurse. Security removed the two male nurses who were still cowering in the corner and then a group went in to seize the bodies.<br>That day was full of questioning and police tap, then we were all allowed home or to resume patient care. It was deemed that the man had some strain of ecoli, but the reanimation of his body went unanswered. Also, while one of the surviving nurses was seemingly unharmed, the other man had suffered a long scratch from his elbow to his wrist. He was now undergoing the same symptoms that the original patient had and we all feared what was next.

I had planned to take a two week long vacation the next day, but with the happenings at the hospital I felt inclined to stay and remain on call. However, my best friend- who had planned the backpacking trip through Lewis and Clark national park- wouldn't take no for an answer, so instead of returning the hospital the next day I set out into the wilderness. We didn't radios, left our cell phones in the car, and traveled well past the ranger stations. There was no way for us to know that on the outside, the world as we knew it was ending.

XXXXXXXX

The car screeched as I rounded the corner, tires spinning out behind me while it drifted a few feet. I slammed the gas on and the truck shot forward, thundering into the Herd ahead of me.  
>A feral grin spread across my face as the bodies were skewered onto the spiked grate bolted to the front of my stolen black F-150 Ford. The Herd must have been at least 200 strong, but I passed through the reanimated bodes like passing through a wheat field. Blood splattered across my windshield along with a couple un-identifiable slices of flesh. I tsked and flipped on my wipers, enjoying the site of the Walker's blood smearing across the glass. I cleared the Herd and continued speeding through the streets, caring nothing for the few stragglers that attempted to follow the vehicle.<p>

I arrived at the vast parking lot of Wal-Mart, which was now empty and forsaken. Parking the truck next to a dumpster, I stepped outside to assess the damage to the front of my giant truck. Other than a few tangled body parts which had been ripped from the joints of the Walkers, the truck had managed to survive with only a few dents and scraps. I picked off the disgusting chunks of flesh and tossed them in the bin, then ran a hand towel over the hood. As bad-ass as the car was, a rotting flesh paint job did not appeal to me, no matter how many dead bodies I skewered.

My hands were covered in blood, but I paid no mind as I leaned against the clean car and lit up one of my few cigarettes. I inhaled; allowing the smoke to pass through me and succumb to the sense of calm it provided. A false feeling, calm was something I had not felt for a long time now, but I relished in the muggy affect I was left in once the nicotine was in my system. Forgetting how much of a shit-hole everything was now was just one of the many reasons I would not be giving up smoking anytime soon. If I died from lung cancer during a zombie apocalypse…

I snorted at the thought, running a hand through my mess of bright blue locks to control my self-caused laughter. Collecting myself, I turned my eyes to the parking lot ahead of me, ready to move if any danger emerged. The sun was setting, giving off shadows that seemed to make everything look even more sinister. It stretched things, made the shadows reach out towards me, and left the whole world in a wash of yellowish orange. I hated sunsets, not only because the Walkers became even more bloodthirsty at night, but because it made me vulnerable.  
>And I hated being vulnerable.<p>

I stubbed out the finished smoke with the heel of my black boots, whipped my hands off as best as I could on my dark, bloody jeans, and climbed back into the truck. The cab was spotless, except for the bullet shells that riddled the front seats as well as the assortment of weapons carefully positioned in the backseat. I made sure my Silver Spring revolver was loaded and available before starting up the loud vehicle.  
>If there was one place you didn't want to be at night these days, it was the city.<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

Enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

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><p><strong><em>Chapter One,<em> **Rule 10: Be Quiet****

"Renji, seriously man, stop!" I hissed to my friend as we crept along the side of the large white wall to our right. His shotgun gleamed in the afternoon light, barrel pointed straight ahead. In front of us was a large chain link fence that protected the hospital courtyard from the parking lot, but it was what was screaming at us and shaking the fence that had me worried.

Renji cocked the gun and gave me a smirk, nodding towards the group of three Walkers stuck on the other side. They had obviously been patients at some point, because they wore torn and bloody hospital gowns still loosely wrapped across their broken bodies. I exhaled noisily and nodded back and with that he shot off three rounds at the trapped Walkers. His shots were always deadly accurate due to his police training and all the Walkers hit the ground, blood pouring out of there fragmented brains.

"Seriously Ichi, you need to stop worrying every time I have ta' kill one of these things." Renji exclaimed while tossing his gun over and scaling the fence, "You're the one who wanted to come back and check up on this place"

I sighed and nodded, following him over the fence, "I know, I just needed to make sure everyone was really gone. And we need some supplies anyways." With the hell we had been going through, it was a blessing one of us hasn't needed a bandage yet.

It had been a week since we had immerged from the forest, a week since we had discovered the world had ended. And while I thought now somehow we would get over this, it was starting to dawn on me that this was our reality now.

_We had started our hike back to the car that morning at 5, so it was understandable that by 3:30 in the afternoon I was dead tired when we finally stepped out of the forest. Renji of course seemed unfazed, the only sign that he was slightly hot was his long red hair pulled back in a band. Sure his tribal tattoos that covered his whole body had a light sheen of sweat, but he wasn't nearly as drenched as me. Being a pre-med student left me with long hours pf cleaning bed pans and no time for a gym membership. The ranger station came into view first and Renji made the decision to grab some fresh water and food before heading home. _

_"Hello?" Renji yelled as we walked in the front door of the cabin. It was eerily quiet inside, although the front door specifically stated the rangers should be on duty right now. _

_I walked to the counter and hit the assistance bell while Renji grabbed a couple subs and bottles of water from the fridge. _

_After a moment, noises started coming from the room behind the front counter._

_"Anyone there? We want to purch-" I was cut short as a loud animal-like groan filled the small cabin._

_I knew that noise; it was a sound I would never forget. The fear that swept through me must have showed because Renji instantly became on edge. __I instinctually backed away from the counter while Renji pulled out his shotgun. We hadn't used it the whole camping trip, but he had been convinced we needed it in case we found a deer.  
><em>_I had never been gladder for the red-heads idiocy._

_"Who's there?" Renji called out, his voice taking on an edge I had only heard him use while on the job. _

_A figure appeared in the doorway, his shoulders slumped forward and mouth hanging open. Blood caked his hands and mouth, dripping saliva-like as his ghostly blue eyes gazed at us hungrily. One of his feet look as if it had been ripped apart by an animal, which caused him to drag it behind him as he made his way towards us. _

_"What the hell?" Renji exclaimed, cocking the rifle and shifting backwards in obvious fright. How could he not be afraid? Five years as a cop never prepared him for someone, no, something like this._

_The man's head cocked to the side like a dog at the sound of Renji's voice and he let out another snarl. He quickened his dragging gaint, backing us into the corner. __The man was only three feet away from Renji when three loud bangs filled the cabin. The body fell to the ground and Renji lowered the shotgun, though he didn't move from his spot. _

_Suddenly, the creature let out another horrible scream and grabbed at Renji's ankle. He swore and jumped backwards, falling onto his back and knocking me back as well. The man tore at Renji's hiking boots while my friend scrambled for his gun and cocked it once more, kicked the thing in the face, and unloaded a round straight into his head. _

_Brain splattered against the floor as the man fell face-first into a growing pool of blood, the body finally unmoving._

_Renji got up slowly, unsteady at first before shaking himself off and walking towards the corpse. He nudged it with the butt of the gun, his face pale, "He's dead now, or at least deader the' before." I could see him glance down at me from the corner of my eyes, "Is this what you were talking about at the hospital before we left?" _

_I nodded, still unable to rip my eyes away from the body. I had seen patients die, even seen that man and nurse die back at the hospital two weeks ago, but this ranger….it almost looked as if his head didn't exist anymore. The shotgun had shredded his face apart, leaving a bloody, misshapen shape in its place. I could make out a part of his brain laying only a foot away from my hiking boots…_

_I jumped up and ran outside, making it just in time to vomit the light lunch of granola over the stations deck. Then I stayed there, staring un-seeing at the ivy below me._

_"Ichigo," I jumped when Renji placed his hand on my shoulder, "We have to get inta the city."_

_My eyes grew wide, understanding instantly what he meant. If the virus had spread this far, then what had happened to the hospital? To the city? To my-_

_"Renji, my family-I have to get back to Karin and Yuzo-"_

_"I got it man. I need ta find Rukia and the baby as well. Let's go, get yer shit together, I'll get the car runnin' "_

_I nodded; grabbing the bag I hadn't realized I had dropped. God please let them be okay…_

I shoved open the emergency exit doors, letting in a blinding sheen of light on the dark staircase. We propped it open with a cinderblock sitting nearby, then stepped inside the hospital.  
>It was dark at first, but my eyes soon adjusted and we followed the blinking EXIT sign to the second floor.<p>

It looked like WWIII had broken out in the hallway. Bodies lay everywhere, dried blood caked to them and staining the white tiles. The only light was from the flickering ceiling bulb at the end of the hallway, casting shadows over the corpses that made me not want to move from the safety of the staircase.

"Come on, I need your help finding the supply closet." Renji grumbled, picking his way around the bodies. He kept his gun armed and ready, by now used to expecting every corpse to get up and come after us.

I hated seeing this place like this. A hospital was a place of healing, never destruction. These bodies that littered the floor had not been infected, or else they would have gotten up and attacked right when we appeared. The only alternative was death by another human. I glanced down at the corpse of an elderly woman as I stepped over her, taking in the multiple gunshot wounds littering her chest.

I averted my eyes quickly, focusing on the task of at hand. Worrying about the past was not a luxury we could afford anymore.

The supply closet was around the corner to where we were, passed the flickering light that lit the area. The next hallway was actually mostly bodiless, though it hadn't escaped the smears of blood and bullet holes dotting the walls.

"It's right here." I walked towards a closet door blocked by a wheelchair. Shoving the wheelchair away I opened the door, creating an eerie creak down the hallway. I cringed, very much aware of the amount of noise I had just made.

Renji walked straight into the closet, pulling the empty backpack off his back and starting to dump necessary medical supplies in. I grabbed mine and followed suit. We worked in silence, used to each other's presence so much that it required little to no talking.

Renji and I have known each other since kindergarten, though we only became best friends in high school. Actually, I seem to remember thinking he was a real dick in middle school, though I had respect for him because both of us had such brightly colored hair. Maybe that's what brought us together during freshman year and stuck us together all through my med schooling and his police academy. I guess if I were to choose one person to get stuck with, Renji was a pretty good choice.

BANG

I stiffened, dropping the syringes I had been packing. Renji moved to the door of the closet instantly, crouching with his gun poised and ready for a threat.

"Ren is there-"

"Shhhhh" He hissed at me, sending a warning glance backwards before fixating his gaze towards the danger.

I could hear the sounds of movement, banging echoing down the hallways of the hospital. God-damnit, we were stuck in a tiny ass closet with no escape route. If we managed to make it out of here, there was the hallway of bodies that we would need to weave through and the staircase to reach as well…  
>For an instant, I couldn't help but think of how stupid it would be to die by tripping over a carcass.<p>

Renji cocked his gun and I clenched my jaw at the loud noise.  
>I shifted the backpack over my shoulders, preparing for a run.<p>

"Alright, I think there are about five out there. Too many for us to handle with only one shot gun…we need to make a run for it." Renji whispered to me. I nodded, rolling forward on the balls of my feet. I had been a track star in high school so running was my specialty.

Renji lifted himself from his crouch and pulled his back pack on. We locked eyes one last time before we were running, the sounds of the walking dead reverberating behind us as they gave chase.

The hallway of bodies was a challenge. I leapt over as many as I could before catching my foot on one and slamming into the blood covered chest of another. On any normal occasion I would have been embarrassed…but having your face covered in dried blood and a mouth full of a dead persons shirt tends to change your reaction to things.  
>I scrambled away from the body and pulled myself up just as Renji caught up to me, his face and front of his navy plaid shirt drenched in blood.<br>"I got two of them, but there's more then five now. Don't stop" Renji turned and shot off three more rounds at the growing crowd of zombies. We sprinted to the staircase entrance, slamming the door shut just as the bodies impacted on the other side. Renji locked the door and shoved a broken peice of metal in the handle as I held the door closed.

"Are you alright!" I screamed at him, very much aware of the amount of blood covering his front.

He laughed, nodding, "Shot one in the throat and it splashed me with some blood, I'm fine"

Releived, I nodded and started sprinting down down the stiarcase, escaping into the cold night just as the door above slammed open and bodies came tumbling after us. We shut the fire escape door and leaned against it while the bodies pounded repeatedly behind.  
>"Ichigo, you need to get over the fence" Renji yelled over the blood curdling screams.<p>

I looked at him as if he was crazy, "Hell no! We're both making a run for that fence!" I yelled back, anger growing at the mere suggestion of leaving him.

"If I let go of this door, there all gonna come streaming out and we both wont make it"

"Its not an option Renji, come on!" I knew he would hate me for it later, but I grabbed his stained shirt and dragged him across the courtyard. He screamed at me, but had no choice to follow as the zombies instantly escaped the doorway. We tossed our bags and his gun over the fence and started climbing and I honestly thought we had made it when I saw Renji hit the ground, safe.

Something grabbed my boot and pulled me back just as I was about to drop down. I screamed, kicking backwards and feeling the sick sensation of cartilidge breaking under the impact. As the zombie fell, she ripped off my boot in the process. The other Walkers went into a frenzy to get at my exposed flesh. I began pulled myself up the rest of the fence just as Renji yanked me the rest off the way off.

I hit the ground hard, jarring my elbow and illisting a string of curses. The zombies surged against the fence, but it held strong. We were safe.

"God DAMN IT Ichigo!" Renji screamed at me, pulling me to my feet and shoving my backpack into my hands, "Can't you just listen ta me once an' a while?"

I grinned at him, shoving him forward as we jogged back to the car, "Nah man, I'm never gonna listen to ya cause your too much of an idiot"

He glared at me and tripped me on my shoeless foot, causing me to stumble and stub my toe. Asshole.

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><p>Renji's silver Honda Passport was something of a novelty now. It was'nt an old car, though seventeen years had managed to put a good amount of wear on the SUV. It was the amount of memories the car embodied. Mostly all of my highschool life surrounded this car. I hated grey cars, but the Passport pulled it off well. Even with the constant smell of wet dog when a dog had never been in it.<p>

I leaned back agaisnt the headrest and stared unseeingly out the window, letting the moment of peace calm me fromt eh near death experience.

"Renji" I mumbled, rolling my head to look at him as he drove.

"Huh?" He answered, sparing my a sidelong glance.

I coughed and leaned forward, resting my forhead against my palms, "We won't survive by ourselves. Don't do that again. And no matter what happens next, we can't loose it for eachother. Neither one of us can live like this alone"

There was a long silence in the car, so long that I had to lift my head to see if he was even listening.

"I know" He finally managed, though he sounded exasperated, "We'll find our families and get hell out of this nightmare"

My eyebrows furrowed into my usual scowl. I knew the tone Renji was useing. It was one he used when he was trying to convince a victim they were safe. He was coddling me and I hated it. But, rather then exploding like I normaly would, I reached forward and turned on the tapdeck as loud as it would go. I'd had enough of the fighting today.

_"Living easy_  
><em>Loving free <em>  
><em>Season ticket for a one way ride"<em>

I snorted and glanced at my bestfriend, seeing a look of barely restrained laughter on his face.  
>"Seriously man?" I asked.<p>

_"Asking nothing__  
><em>Leave me be<em>  
><em>Taken everything in my stride"<em>_

"Wha'?" He spurted out, looking at me with a cheshire grin plastered on his face, "Evr'y one enjoys a little AC/DC!"

_"Don't need reason_  
><em>Don't need rhyme<em>  
><em>Ain't nothin' I would rather do<em>  
><em>Going down<em>  
><em>By the time<em>  
><em>My friends are gonna be there too, eh"<em>

I couldnt control it anymore, the irony of our situation leading me to hysterical laughter. Renji joined in, howling with laughter along with me. When the chores started, we found ourselves screaming along with it.

_"I'm on a highway to hell_  
><em>On the highway to hell<em>  
><em>Highway to hell<em>  
><em>I'm on the highway to hell"<em>

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><p>Wow. Honestly, I hadnt expected people to like this so much. Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the first post, Im glad you guys appreciate zombies as much as I do.<br>Also, just to clear things up a little, this will NOT have any Ren/Ichi in it. Renji is straight, so the only thing going on is a little bromance.  
>If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask.<br>Special thanks to Ciel Leon once again for the wonderful Betaing! (is that the verb for it?)

Review :)


	3. Chapter 2

Hope everyone had a good holiday!

Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2, <strong>_**Rule 5: No Attachments**

Renji and Rukia and always been a couple. Maybe they hadn't realized it as soon as everyone else, but there constant squabbling and the un-dyeing affection that was always present between them was so obvious even strangers could tell.

They had made it official junior year of high school, gotten married a month after graduation, and were completely moved in by the end of the summer. They were perfectly matched; both stubborn and strong headed but loved each other enough to ignore their own values to simple be with one another. Renji did what Rukia told him to do and Rukia strived to make Renji happy. When we all got together; the gang from high school that still lived in the area, Renji and Rukia became just best friends. They didn't lay all over each other or smother us with their love. But we all knew it was their, in the looks they gave and the smiles.

Their son was born a year after they moved in together, making him 4 and a half now. Kaine was named after Rukia's mentor and my grandfather, who died in combat our junior year. They had named me his god-father, a title I chose to use to spoil the little brat to no end. Kaine had Renji's bright red hair and Rukia's huge, dark, almost purplish eyes. He was perfect and anyone would lay down our lives for that kid.

It was almost 3 am when we pulled up outside Renji's small suburban home. Instead of the 20 minute drive from the hospital it would have normally taken, we had been forced to take side roads to avoid the miles of abandoned cars on the highway's. As we had gotten further into the city, the Walkers became more abundant, forming groups of them that charged on sight. Renji and Rukia lived in a quiet suburban neighborhood not far from mine, though theirs was much nicer with its perfectly trimmed lawns and manicured flower beds.  
>Now, it didnt look so nice. A car had been driven into his neighbors house, the wall crumpling over the roof and bricks strewn everywhere. Cars were left in the middle of the street, the doors still open from the drivers escape. The street was clear though, no Walking Dead wandering about. We still made care to close the doors quietly and sneak up to the porch, Renji's shotgun in hand.<p>

The house was completely dark except for a faint light coming from the middle upstairs window. Kaine's room.

"Ren wai-" I said as he charged through the front door, his whole demeanor frantic.

"RUKIA! KAINE!" He screamed, running up the stairs two at a time. I moved inside quickly behind him, shutting the door and locking it just in case.  
>Their front door opened up onto a staircase that lead to the bedrooms up stairs. To The left was the dining room and the kitchen and to the right was the living room and back deck. The house would have cost me more then I had ever owned in my life, but Rukia's family came from money and was expected to live as such. Not that either one of them ever complained.<br>Normally the house was lit up with candles at night, sweet smelling ones that Rukia picked up at the farmers market. Now the place smelled rotten and empty. I glanced into the living room, a shiver passing through me at the smashed in plasma and overturned bookshelf.

I followed Renji up the stairs slowly, hating the thoughts that were forming in my head. Kaine was gone. Rukia was gone…which meant my family...

Their was loud banging coming from upstairs and then the sound of splitting wood. I scramlbde up the last steps to see Renji entering his sons room, door hanging off its hinges.

"KAINE!"

I ran down the hallway to Kaine's room, terrified. I walked in to see Renji kneeling down with his arms wrapped around his son, their identically colored hair migling together as he sobbed. Kaine stared at me with those far too intelligent eyes, his arms barely wrapping around his fathers neck. It was the second time I had seen Renji cry, the first was when him and Rukia had broken up for about a week before them came running back to each other.

"Thank god…" I mumbled out with a sigh, falling against the wall neck to the rocking chair. But how had he survived by himself? I looked arouned the room, seeing three boxes of the kid's favorite cereal, Captain Crunch, some bread and a box of crackers. Jugs of water were stacked in the corner, an open one sitting next to Kaines bed.

"Mommy…?" Kaines voice squeaked out. Renji tightened his hold and nodded, squeezing his eyes shut even further.

"We'll find her, we'll find her don't worry"

"MUUUHHHHHHAAAUUUUUUU" A loud, unearthly scream erupted from the doorway, breaking apart the sweet moment on the floor. Renji reacted instantly, shoving Kaine behind himself and crouching down with his fists ready. I stood up, stepping up next to Renji and blocking Kaine even further.

Rukia stood there, dressed in her Chappy the Bunny pajamas she refused to give up from highschool. Her eyes were ghostly blue, wide and hungry. Her shoulder had been ripped apart and now hung in bloody strips down her side. The arm attached hung useless, but her other was reaching out towards us as she dragged her broken ankles into the room. The clothes were bloody and soiled, hanging in craps in some areas.  
>I couldnt react for a moment, staring at what had become of one of my oldest friends. She was still beautiful, even in her death. I wanted to reach out and hug her, pick on her like I used to, let her beat me up because there was no way I could ever fight back... no way I could ever hurt her...<p>

Kaine let out a scream as Rukia started dragging herself towards us, her gargled noises becoming more frantic as she took in the sent of flesh. I spared a glanced at Renji, his eyes were wide and terrified like mine had been moments ago. He had tuned out his son, his eyes only for his lost wife.

I thought quickly, knowing we only had seconds. The gun was downstairs, we had no weapon. And even if we did, I didn't know how to shoot and Renji would never be able to to kill when he was like this. And never Rukia...

Rukia couldn't move fast due to her ankles, but she was still halfway into the room when Kaine, still crying, screamed at me.

"Uncle Ichi, the bat!"

I swiveled my head to him, seeing his small hand pointed at Renji's baseball bat from high school, which was laying on his bed.

It was as if my brain shut down for that moment. I knew what I had to do and simply reacted. Instincts. I needed to protect Renji and Kaine, I needed them to be safe. We only had room for the living in our hearts now.  
>I turned and slammed the bat into Rukias head just as she was about to reach Renji. The sound of crunching bone filled my ears and suddenly I felt invincible. I slammed the bat into her repeatedly, quelling the smile that almost spread across my face. Her bones crunched underneath the metal, her gargled noises becoming less and less as the fake life she had ebbed away. I couldn't stop though, even when her body became an unrecognizable heap. The blood, thick and almost black in appearance, splattered against me and the colorful carpet that had traines driving across it...Kaine loved traines..<p>

I snaped back to reality and dropped the bat instantly, eyes wide. The mess before me was utterly disgusting, innards spilled out and mushed to a lick soupy consistency. Her pajamas could stil be made out, the pick fabric now a deep red. I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat, staggering back a couple feet.

"Kaine, can you take your daddy downstairs?" My voice sounded strange to my ears, warped in someway. I was still staring at the gore in front of me when Kaine grabbed his fathers hand and dragged him out the door hurriedly. Renji followed zombie-like, which was ironic. I wonder how Kaine felt to have both his parents turn to zombies...

I looked back down at the mess, knowing I could not leave this here. Renji had not reacted during my moment of insanity, but he was sure to remember it. I was protecting them though, it was all self-defense.

**_"Ya kno' it wasn't Aibou"_**

I shook my head of my thoughts, grabbing the edge of Kaine's carpet and rolling it around the body. Thankfully only splatters littered the wood and walls, easily cleaned. I didn't want to think of my clothes, or my face. I could feel the blood drying on my cheek...Rukias blood...

I cleaned my face off in the mirror, having escaped into the bathroom after taking the carpet to the back porch. I stared at myself, my eyes tracing over my face critically. I looked older then 24, but that could have to do with my constant scowl. I smoothed out the frown with my hands, letting my face turn blank. My eyes were dark, muddy brown, hard and cold looking. My hair...god my hair. My hair was the reason I had learned to fight, the reason I had met Rukia and Renji. I tugged at the orange strands that were growing over my eyes, now reaching the middle of my cheek. Too long, but I had neglected a hair cut for weeks before we left for the camping trip. Before the end of the world.

I left the bathroom and found Kaine sitting with his father at the dinning room table, sitting silently across from him. He looked so small in the giant wooden chair that he sat in, his chin just barely reaching the table top.  
>I stood at the doorway a moment, unsure of how to enter.<p>

Kaine looked up at me and gave me a heart-wrenching smile. His eyes were watery, but he was still trying to keep calm.

"She's gone?"

I nodded, staying out of the room. I felt like an outsider suddenly, like I needed to leave them. But Renji was my best friend and we needed each other. Especially now.

Kaine looked away, turning his attention back to his father, "She got hurt two days ago, one of the monsters bit her shoulder. She said she was going to get very sick and that I couldn't be near her…" He trailed off as Renji lifted his head to look at his son, "She locked me in my room with the food and water and bat and said that if she got in, I had to fight her. She told me to kill her..."

I closed my eyes, fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall. I hadn't cried in years, but everything was too much now. And hearing Kaine, who was supposed to be worrying about how to tie his shoelaces, talk about his mother's death... "After a while, she started banging on the door and screaming at me. I wanted to open it for her, but she sounded so scary…", He continued, "She never left the house and I could hear her wandering the hallway all night..."

"You did really well Kaine. Exactly like your mother would have wanted you too" I finally said, walking over to give him a hug. Kaine burried his face into my shoulder and squeezed me as if his life depended on it.

"Thank you…" He mumbled out. I settled into the seat next to him, still clutching the four year olds hand tightly.

Renji was still staring at his son, the life coming back into his eyes. I felt as if he was about to speak for a moment, but then he stood and strode out of the room, out of the house, front door slamming behind him.

"He'll be back, don't worry. He just has to calm down" I reassured Kaine, though I was also reassuring myself. Renji wouldn't leave us, he just needs to let out some steam. Like whenever he got in a fight when we were younger, I always knew I could find him out by our meeting place in the woods, shooting bottles with his BB gun, his wounds still uncleaned. Though this time I knew it wouldn't be just bottles he was shooting.

I was tired and so was Kaine by the looks of his sunken eyes. After I made the kid a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of the scraps in the pantry, we trudged downstairs. Renji had set up the dark, windowless room as a den with the standard mini-fridge, giant L shaped sofa, and plasma screen TV in every man-cave. I pulled out a comforter from the closet and got Kiane comfortable on the couch.

"Uncle Ichi?" He whispered out once he was all settled and I was lounging next to him, running my hand through his red hair, "Where's Yuzo and Karin? And The Gat Face?"

I snorted at the nick name Kaine had dubbed my dad, "We're gonna go get them tomorrow, we came to get you first" I answered, ignoring the thoughts that we could fine a scene like this at my dad's house as well...

"Their safe?" He asked, his big eyes so much like Rukia's gazing up at me, "No monsters got them right?"

I nodded, my eyes falling shut, "Yeah buddy, their fine. Karin wouldn't let anything happen to them, you know that. Their probably all sleeping right now, just like you should be"

I felt him nod and snuggled deeper in the covers, "I love you Uncle Ichi"

I smiled, opening my eyes to look at him, "Love you too Kaine"

A couple moments of silence passed.

"Uncle Ichi?"

I opened one eye and glanced at him, "What?"

"I'll always love you, no matter what happened"

My heart constricted in my chest and a feeling of dread seeped over me. He knew, he knew I could be a monster. Kaine was too smart to not notice the change that had happened upstairs. It would be my worst nightmare for the ones I love to be scared of me, but in all honesty I was scared at me. I had no clue I was capable of waht happened upstairs.

I closed my eyes again, turning my head away from the sleeping form next to me. I wanted to protect them all, but what if I was the one they needed protection from?

Slamming of doors, loud footsteps, cursing. I woke with a start, knowing Renji was finally home. It was light outside and I knew we had to have been asleep for almost four hours. I crept up the stairs after making sure Kaine was still asleep, finding Renji leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Hey man" I said as I walked in, giving him a good deal of space. I was used to Renji's temper and I knew the only person who would have been able to get close to him at a time like this was Rukia. Renji shifted and lifted his head, his red hair hanging loosely in front of his face. His eyes looked dead, zombie-like. They were still dark brown, but the emptiness I saw in them resembled the cannibalistic monsters so much it was terrifying.

"I put Kaine to sleep downstairs...I don't want to talk about it man, but he just lost his mother. You need to be here for him, let him know he's not alone anymore"

Renji moved faster than I anticipated and I found myself slammed against the fridge, his hand choking me as he screamed, "I CANT DO THIS WITHOUT HER! YOU DON"T UNDERSTAND"

I grappled at his hands, knowing I was a fool to talk to him so soon. But we needed to keep moving, my family..."Ren-ji stop" I coughed out. I scrambled against his hold, them pulled my legs up and kicked him in the stomach swiftly. He stumbled back with an 'uff' and I took that moment to tackle him to the ground. I got an arm around his neck when he elbowed me in the side, shoved me back and tackled me back. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them, digging his knees into my side.  
>His eyes borred into mine, accusion written all over his face, "What kinda stunt did ya pull upstairs Ichi?"<p>

"I saved you-"

"Im not talkin' abou' that, I'm talkin' about what you did with the bat" His face had pulled into a look of disgust, of hatred. I hated myself so much at that moment, hated myself for ever making my best friend look at me like that. His eyes...

"Daddy"

Renji released me instantly and slumped back, staring up at the ceiling.

"We need to bury Mommy"

Both our eyes locked onto Kaine, who stood in the doorway wrapped in the big brown comforter. It enveloped him, trailing across the tiles as he walked towards us. Kaine stopped in front of his dad, glaring at him, "Mommy wouldn't like you beating up Uncle Ichi, that was her job" I smirked a little, remembering the constant fights that Rukia always won.

Renji's face fell and Kaine instantly wrapped his little arms around his dad, pulling the comforter in a warm cocoon around them. A small smile pricked at the corner of my mouth at the sight as I pulled myself free from underneath Renji and left the room silently. My frown etched itself across my face as I headed out the back door and took a deep breath of fresh morning air. Everything was changing...

I went out into the yard, where I knew there was shovels in the garage. I knew Rukia had always wanted to have her ashes scattered at her favorite tree, but we didn't have to time to burn her body safely and avoid any walkers following the smell. She would have to settle for her backyard, which she had always taken pride in. I started digging next to a tall tree that she and planted daffodils around, making sure to avoid the flowers as best I could.

Renji joined me a half hour later and we settled into our normal silence as we dug the grave. I wanted to speak up and settle this, but it wasn't the time. This was for Rukia and she would turn over in her grave if she knew we were fighting over it. Before we set the carpet wrapped body in the grave, I partially unwrapped it to remove Rukia's ring from the muddled mess. Renji averted his eyes as I did so, but thanked me none the less when I handed him the cleaned off ring.

We stood around the filled grave, all three of us lost in thought. I remembered the first time I met Rukia freshman year, how she seemed so sweet and girly. Then I made on small comment about her height and she had me holding an icepack to my broken nose in the health room. When Renji kept persistently making fun of me for getting beat up by a girl, she knocked him out by slamming his face against his desk. His nose still looked slightly screwed up when you looked at him straight on.  
>I smiled at the thought, about to retell it out loud when Kaine spoke up.<p>

"Will mommy go to heaven? Even though she turned into a monster"

"Of course" Renji answered, his hand running through his kids matching hair, "Your mother is the single most beautiful and stubborn woman to ever live. If the angels wouldn't let her into heaven, she sure as hell found a way in"

Kaine glared at his dad, "Mommy said you're not allowed to say hell" He reprimanded, sounding and looking almost exactly like Rukia.

Renji laughed and nodded, "Of course, but Mommy also swore all the time. She just didn't want me or you doing it" We all laughed at the memory, all three of us very much used to Rukias hypocritical morals.

"Will I get to see her when I die?" Kaine asked, looking up at his dad with the eyes of his mother.

Renji gazed down softly, looking exactly like a father in that moment, "Of course. But that won't be for a very, very long time"

We packed up the Passport with as much food, water, and supplies as we could find. Renji lent me a pair of jeans and a grey tee-shirt to change into, eyeing my bloody clothes but not speaking a word. I noticed he had changed too, a black fitted tee-shirt and dark jeans now covering his tattoos. He also lent me his Police issued pistol, saying that he would teach me how to properly fire it later.  
>I was sitting in the passenger seat waiting for him to finish up a last sweep of the house when he came out in his Police jacket.<p>

Renji climbed into the car and rolled his eyes at my raised eyebrow, "Its good luck" He explained, "And if we run into any other people they might take us a little more seriously if one of us is a cop"

I rolled my eyes and glanced back at Kaine, who had set himself up with the giant brown comforter in the back, a crate of toes sharing the seat with him, "So where to Captain Kaine?" I asked, making him laugh with his old nickname I gave him after he declared one day he was going to be a fighter pilot. A depressing thought crossed my mind, that that dream would never happen now, but I tossed it away as quick as possible.

"We have to find Yuzo and Karin and Goat Face of course!" Kaine exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide and childishly.

I wish I could have the same optimism as him.

* * *

><p>I found this, made me laugh.<br>_"Blood is really warm,_  
><em>it's like drinking hot chocolate<em>  
><em>but with more screaming."<br>_― Ryan Mecum, Zombie Hiaku: Good Poetry for Your...Brains

Review please


	4. Chapter 3

Enjoy and happy zombie killing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Three,<em> Rule 15: Know Your Way Out**

The car petered to a stop in the middle of the empty highway, a sad wheeze escaping it before it finally halted. I turned and glared at Renji, who was staring lividly at the steering wheel as if it were its fault.

"God DAMNNIT!" He cursed, slamming his fists against the padded leather. I scrubbed my face with the heels of my palms, too tired and too worn out to deal with another one of the passports tantrums. It was an old car and had a few issues, but all of them had been nice quirks up till now.  
>Now it was just damn annoying.<p>

I glanced in the backseat where Kaine was still curled up in a ball and snoozing, the comforter almost making him un-noticeable. We had been on our way to my house when a ten car pileup had forced us to take another route, one that took almost four hours longer and forced us to travel through the downtown area. Thankfully we were still in the outskirts, however we needed to get gas fast. It didn't seem like a good idea to be travelling at night time, and if the old tape deck had the right time it was nearing 4pm.

"You stay here, I'll hop out and look for a car to get some gas from," I offered to my best friend, who was currently rubbing his forehead against the steering wheel and looking like he needed to sleep for ten hours, "You take a nap with your kid; I'll grab the extra gas tank and look around ahead."

Renji turned his head and scowled at me, the bags under his eyes extremely noticeable in the mid-day light, "There ain't no way in Hell am I lettin' ya go out there alone. We stick together, end'a story." He was obviously trying to look all macho with his stern look and voice, but all he looked like right now was a kid trying to get out of nap time.

"I'm not draggin' your tired ass around out there and listening to you complain. Get in the back seat, I'll take the pistol." I had no clue how to use the damn thing, but how hard could it be to aim and pull a trigger?

Renji barked out a laugh and shook his head, "I'm not letting you use that gun until I train ya, take the knife or something. Just be back in an hour or I'm coming after you."

I nodded, popped the trunk, and reached for the door handle, "Careful Ichi." Renji murmured. I glanced back at him, giving one of my rare, genuine smiles.

"I'll be fine Ren."

After digging out the empty gas tank and a hunting knife from the mess in the trunk, I turned and looked back the way we had come. There was that car pileup a couple miles back, but we had avoided that place for a reason. A couple of walkers had been lying on the outside, looking ready to jump up and start chowing down on living flesh any moment. I shuddered and ruled 'that way' out instantly.  
>Ahead of us was just straight free-way, with forest on either side. There were no cars as far as I could see, but the road seemed to be going down so any traffic jams could've easily just be hidden from view.<p>

I sighed and started walking, happy that it was at least nice outside. The birds were loud without the roar of traffic, the sun bright but the heat kept at bay by a light breeze. For a fall day, it was actually quite pleasant…  
>If you ignore the fact that I was walking along a deserted highway in search of gas to fill a broken down car so we could get to my family…If my family was still….<p>

I shook my head, and shifted the empty gas tank. I couldn't think like that or I wouldn't make it another day in this hell pit.

Suddenly, a bird in the forest to my right let out a shriek and the rest fell silent, leaving the area an eerie quiet that didn't sit well with me. I had learned to trust my instincts in these cases, so I set down the gas tank and grabbed the knife, eyes searching the forest.

Nothing.

I felt like an idiot standing there for five minutes with that damn knife pointed ahead of me. I probably looked like a complete moron and I was suddenly very glad Renji wasn't with me right then.  
>The birds hadn't started up again though, and usually wild-life was the first thing to react when something was amiss (or according to Survivor Man that is…). I scoffed slipped the knife back in its plastic case, grabbing the gas tank again and starting to walk.<p>

The temperature was still nice, but without the birds everything was just too quiet. I tried not to let it mess with me too much, but I found myself walking faster and faster until I had broken into a run. Gun shots rang out somewhere in the forest ahead of me, two loud shots that sounded very much like Renji's rifle. I froze, suddenly unsure of the direction I wanted to go in. Back to the empty car where I would have to wake Renji up and tell him I got scared by a gun shot? Or ahead, where some crazy ass guy with a rifle could mistake me for a walker?

It took me about two seconds to decide I needed to continue, if not for my dignity then for my family. Going back would mean another two hours of waiting for gas, could mean two hours they were not safe.

I was right about the car pileup. Twenty minutes later a huge traffic jam came into view ahead of me, looking like it stretched on for miles. I kept my eyes peeled for the shooter from earlier, but I couldn't see any movement. I pulled the knife out to be safe though and moved carefully as I walked between the cars.  
>Most of the cars looked as if they had already been ransacked. There was glass littered across the highway from the punched in windows, blood dried to some of them. Most of the doors were wide open, some even torn off their hinges. The area stunk of rotten flesh and decay, like an old dumpster mixed with a dead rat. I coughed slightly and forced myself to breathe through my mouth, but I could somehow still taste it. I tried investigating the first car that look seemingly unharmed, but stumbled back in shock at the contents. A woman was sitting the front seat, her flesh ashen and lifeless. Her eyes were fixed forward, her mouth open in a silent scream. She looked un-harmed, except for the bullet hole on her temple. The blood had long since dried and now looked dark and purplish. She was dead, really dead, I was sure of that.<p>

I continued on, avoiding looking in front seats from then on. More bodies started appearing, all of them truly dead. Had something happened here? Some military accident that killed all these people as the fled to safety? I found an SUV that looked like it used the same gas as the Passport as soon as I could, shoving the tube down and sucking on the end to start up the make-shift pump. As the gas chugged into the gas can I glanced around, feeling suddenly very exposed.

The forest was just to my left, too dense for me to see more than a couple feet into it. But I felt like I was being watched by someone, or something. Which was silly, because a zombie wouldn't just watch me….  
>I almost spilled the gas tank when a chilling laughter filled the area, coming from the direction of the forest. I scrambled to drop the tank and grab the knife, pointing it towards the forest. The chugging of the gas into the tank was the one noise for a few moments.<p>

"W-who's there?" I called out, forcing my hands to remain steady. God this knife wasn't a good idea.

Whoever it was laughed again, only now it was higher and crazed sounding. I could almost picture whoever it was, sitting there toying with me. Knowing I was terrified out of my mind with only a knife for protection…

"Get the fuck out here asshole!" I yelled into the forest, a deep hatred for whoever this was bubbling within me. I gripped the knife, my knuckles turning white from the tension.

The forest grew quiet once again, not even a rustle. I stood there and searched with my eyes, not daring to take a step inside. He was tempting me, luring me in. I spat out the vile taste in my mouth, turning back to the full gas tank. I screwed the cap shut and picked up the heavy tank, storming away from the spot. I kept the knife in hand just in case the asshole tried anything, but otherwise I walked straight down the center lane angrily.

Of course in this horrible hell pit there would be assholes that just wanted to screw with people. People like that, the ones that steal from stores during an earthquake, will never make sense to me. How could they possibly live with themselves when there's so much hurt going on around them? I had always been sensitive to others pain, one of the reasons I had dreamed of becoming a doctor, but I hadn't thought any normal person could disregard everyone else to just screw with others for their own enjoyment.

**_"But isn't tha' what cha did ta Rukia-chan?"_**

I froze, my eyes growing wide.  
>No way in hell was that <em>thing<em> coming back now, not now. I dropped the gas can, sitting down on top of it with my face in my palms.

**_"Aww, come on Aibou__, I was here earlier. Ya just ignored me!"_**

He had come out earlier, that's what happened with Rukia. It wasn't me; it was just this sick creature inside of me. The creature that _no one_ would ever find out about as long as I lived.

**_"Ya don't think Big Red should now who kill'd his wifey?"_**

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, the sound echoing throughout the area

"Wow, just wanted to introduce myself" I gruff but joking voice said from behind me, making me jump from my sitting position and turn to him.

Blue. That was my first thought. This man had the most outrageous blue hair I had ever seen in my life. It was styled in a lazy, just-got-out-of-bed way that obviously took some time. His eyes were the most intense and _bright_ blue I had ever seen and the way they stared into mine made me shiver. He was taller than me by a couple inches, but his large shoulders and broad chest only made him look bigger.  
>I swallowed a thick lump that had formed, this man was <em>attractive<em>. I had never really outlined my sexuality, enjoying women and men equally, but this guy made me question ever finding anyone else attractive.

He was grinning a wide Cheshire smirk, almost as if he knew my thoughts.  
>"Ya done yet?" He purred out, flicking his eyes down to the knife at my side, "That knife of yers looks really useful ta me. Wha'cha think ya were gonna do? Throw it at me from the highway?"<p>

I glared at him, my hand moving to the knife, "So you're the asshole that was creeping on me from the forest?"

He barked out a laughter, only confirming my assumption more, "Not creeping, more like saving your ass. There was a pack of six Walkers in tha forest headin' for ya. I killed 'im for ya and made sure none came after I used the rifle"

I snorted, looking away angrily, "I can take care of myself."

"Right, you and your hunting knife looked well equipped for a pack of flesh-eaters. No need ta thank me." His blue eyes sparkled with some unknown joke and just like his laughter from earlier had made me unhinge with anger, enlisteing a strange need to strangle him.

I gripped the knife and turned on my heel, grabbing the gas and storming away. I heard his irritating laughter start up again, stirring up the side of me that I had done so well to keep at bay.

**_"Can we play Aibou__? Please? Big Blue looks like fun…"_**

I shook my head, forcing my legs to move faster.

"I'd heard of red-heads having a temper, but shit man. You have it _bad._"

I froze, the laughter of that other half seeping through me.

**_"JUST LET ME HAVE A LIL' FUN AIBOU__! HE DESERVES IT!"_**

A cackled ripped through me and I dropped the tank with a slosh of gas. The knife was in my hand in an instant as I turned to face Big Blue, who was grinning widely.

"So ya have a little fight in ya orange?" He asked, dropping his gun to the side and making fists as I stalked towards him, "Come on, let's see if ya can live up to yer hair color!"

I jumped at him, landing a fist in his jaw as he staggered back. I swung the knife forward, just skimming his chest as he leaned backwards. He reached forward and clasped my neck, making a strangled cough escape me. I laughed, a horrible retched noise that sounded almost zombie like to me. But it wasn't me, it was the other one. Big Blues eyes widened in surprise and I took that moment to jab my knee into his stomach. He doubled over and I punched him in the face, forcing him down on his ass. He swung his legs out, knocking me to the ground. The knife flew out of my hand, landing a couple feet away. I paid it no mind, turning back towards Big Blue to punch him in the face. He caught my fist though and swung his own into my eye. He lnded his other fist on my jaw with a crack, making my spit out blood. I rolled, giving us a foot between us before tackling him and getting four good punches in before he knocked me off.

I whipped the blood licked the blood from my lips, giggling slightly as Big Blue got himself into a crouch. His hair was messed up, a bruise forming over his eye and blood running down his face. I probably looked even worse, but it was _fun_.

**_"See Aibou__! 'Im not tha' bad!"_**

I blinked suddenly, snapping back to reality and realizing what I had just allowed to happen. My _aibou_ screamed from inside me, fighting to get out and kill this man.

"That all ya got?" The man asked, spitting blood from his mouth. I rocked back and fell out of my crouch, stunned.

"I….d-don't…" I mumbled, feeling shell shocked.

The man sighed, standing up gracefully and running a hand through his wild hair, "You need to get yer head checked out kid, but yer a good fighter." He continued to look down at me critically, those damn blue eyes piercing into me. I felt as if he could tell instantly who I was, _what_ I was, and I didnt like it, "Are you heading back to that SUV up the road?"

I nodded, shakily forcing myself to stand.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride" Blinking, I looked to where he was pointed. In the forest to our right, hidden expertly from the road, was a big black truck.

I had to jump to get into the cab, which was spotless except for the bullet cases and stakes of guns in the back seat. The man turned the car on with a roar and peeled out of the hiding spot, heading away from the traffic jam.

"What's yer name?" He asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

"Ichigo." I answered, still uncomfortable with my actions earlier. And how quickly we had gone from enemies to comrades.

"Like a strawberry?" He howled out in laughter, his mouth opening wide to reveal his perfectly white teeth.

I glared at him and rolled my eyes, "Please be a little more original then making fun of my hair and name." I replied in an annoyed tone.

He gave me a grin and shrugged, "Ya make it so easy to make fun of you, why be original?"

"You are?" I asked, eager to change the subject.

"Grimmjow Jagerjaques"

"And your making fun of my name?" I snorted.

He glared at me, kind of reminding me of an irritated cat, "I'll beat your ass if ya make fun of my name. It's German"

I rolled my eyes again, very much aware of how hypocritical he sounded.

"That the car?" He asked, nodding towards the Passport up ahead.

I nodded, watching Renji hop out of the car as we neared.

"Your headin' into the city?" He asked suddenly, obviously tipped off by the direction the car was facing.

"Yeah, that an issue?"

Grimmjow shook his head, shrugging, "Just don't be stupid and get caught in there after dark. And make sure yer car can deal with some zombie contact" His eyes were criticizing our car, narrowing slightly.

"Alright….thanks"

The car rolled to a stop and I paused a moment before grabbing the gas at my feet, "Thanks for earlier I guess…"

"For beating you into a psychotic break or saving you?"

I got out of the car and slammed the door shut, choosing not to deem him with a reply. I could hear his laughter from the outside though. He took off almost immediately, that monstrosity of a truck roaring down the highway.

"Care to explain?" Renji asked while he took the gas from me and looked over my face. I probably looked like a mess with the bruises I could feel forming and the dried blood on my chin.

I followed him around to the gas hole, "Asshole saved my life I guess, and then chose to mess with me. I guess he felt bad and gave me a ride back…just hope we don't see him again. You'd hate him."

Renji laughed and nodded, beginning to siphon the gas in, "Alright. I think we have enough daylight left to make it to your house" He glanced at me, "You ready for that?"

I nodded, leaning against the silver door of the SUV, "Yeah, I'll just deal with it when it comes. How're you?"

Renji looked down at his boots, the same ones from our hiking trip. They now had specks on blood dried on them. I shuttered at who they probably belonged too.

"I'm holding up. For Kaine"

We finished up the gas and hopped back in the car, waking up Kaine with our shouts of joy as the Passport rumbled too life. I riffled through Renji's collection of old cassettes, grabbing Bob Dylan after a moment. At least I could always count on Renji for having good music during the apocalypse.

We bypassed the traffic jam by moving to the empty side of the highway, the side headed towards the city.

"That guy, Grimmjow, said we shouldn't be in the city at night" I said as soon as the sky-scrapers came into view.

"We can make it through in twenty minutes"

"What if there's another car pileup? Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to head in"

Renji glanced at me, his eyes steely, "We need to get to you family Ichigo"

I gulped and nodded, "I know, I know…"

"It'll be fine, we have almost two hours till dark and there's plenty of streets to get around the blocks in the roads"

I nodded, still slightly worried, "How much ammo do you have?"

"Enough" Renji stated, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

We entered downtown Karakura at around 6:30. It was like a war had broken out. Tanks sat unoccupied in the streets, trash everywhere. Windows and whole walls of building had been blasted out, while bodies lay in piles on the street. Barricades had been erected and now were left tin shambles, soldiers laying dead over them. We made Kaine lay down in the back so he couldn't see any of the horror we witnessed, it was almost too much for me.  
>We didn't see any walkers for a whole ten minutes. The first one attempted to follow the car but couldn't keep up. I kept watch on him from the back window just in case. It was when ten or fifteen started following that I got worried.<p>

"Renji…" I murmured as he was attempting to avoid running over a body that lay in the middle of the street, "We need to get out of here"

"Im tryin' man, but the streets are so crowded"

"We can't worry about stuff like that….Ren were gettin' a lot of Walkers back there"

He glanced in the rear view mirror and swore, stepping on the gas. The car bounced over the body, feeling like nothing more than a speed bump. Renji sped up to 30 miles an hour and turned a corner, then screeched on the brakes.  
>Hundreds, no, thousands of walkers were crowded into this single street and at our appearance they started turning towards us. I screamed at Renji to back up as he swore, changed to reverse, and slammed on the gas. The car shot backwards with a jolt as the walkers began running for us. He turned the wheel back where we had come, but of course the small pack I had been worried about was now running down the street towards us. Behind us was a building blocking the way, and to the left another street.<br>Renji scrambled to turn the wheel fast enough to turn down that street, but the walkers were soon on us. They surrounded the car like ants on an invading bug, their broken bodies slamming against the small SUV. Kaine was crying in the backseat, the comforter doing nothing to comfort him anymore.

I locked eyes with Renji, who was still trying desperately to get the car to move. There were too many bodies blocking the wheels though and the Passport simply groaned as the wheels spun out. _'Make sure yer car can deal with some zombie contact'_, Grimmjow had been right, and we had been fools.

"Ren..."

"I know."

Renji reached back and grabbed the Police pistol, loading three bullets. I watched him silently, breathing deeply to try and drown out the sounds of the walkers outside. Bob Dylan still played, sounding suddenly morbid through the screams of the hungry dead outside.

_If today was not an endless highway,  
>If tonight was not a crooked trail,<br>If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,  
>Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all.<br>Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',  
>Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',<br>Only if she was lyin' by me,  
>Then I'd lie in my bed once again.<em>_: _

_I can't see my reflection in the waters,  
>I can't speak the sounds that show no pain,<br>I can't hear the echo of my footsteps,  
>Or can't remember the sound of my own name.<br>Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',  
>Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',<br>Only if she was lyin' by me,  
>Then I'd lie in my bed once again.<em>

_There's beauty in the silver, singin' river,  
>There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky,<br>But none of these and nothing else can touch the beauty  
>That I remember in my true love's eyes.<br>Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',  
>Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',<br>Only if she was lyin' by me,  
>Then I'd lie in my bed once again<em>

* * *

><p>Thank you for all the splendid reviews! It actually makes me want to write this that much faster when I get good feedback, so keep it up!<br>And if you havn't seen The Walking Dead yet then your are sorely missing out. But you still have time! The second season re-starts Febuary 12th (mid-season break right now), so catch up on the first season on Netflix and find a marathon on AMC for the first six of the second season.  
>For everyone that has seen it, this chapter is packed full of referenes. Tank scene from season one...the traffic jam in the beggining of season two...<br>I award points to anyone that can figure out where I got that Bob Dylan song from :)

Ah, and while researching Ichigo's mental issues I found this- _"__Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia"_- E. L. Doctorow...it explains so much...

Reviews are always loved :)


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nada

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Four,<em> Rule 6: Travel In Groups**

The sound of the screaming walkers was filling the car in an almost painful way. I wished I could crouch down under a blanket like Kaine and shove my fingers in my ears. Renji was staring at the gleaming weapon, his eyes filled with pain and dread. I put my hand over the gun slowly, our eyes flicking up to lock with each others.

"I'll do it Ren, you've been through enough."

He squeezed his eyes shut, his tattooed brows pulling forward into a look of pure agony, "No, I need to."  
>Pulling back the heavy weapon, removing the safety and cocking the gun, he leveled the gun with the form of Kaine's head under the blanket and the world stood still for a moment.<p>

BANG!

The car shook and slid to the side as an unseen force slammed into drivers' side. Renji was flung across the seat into mine as I was slammed into the window to my right, my head cracking against it with severe pain. My vision was filled with white as I groaned and attempted to move my head, warm ooze slipping down my neck.

"Renji, ya fine?" I grumbled out as I nudged his form sprawled over my lap. His seat belt was wrapped around his body awkwardly, but that was the only reason he hadn't flown right through the window. He didn't respond at first but then a loud moan escaped his lips. I helped him back into his seat and peered into the back, my vision swirling as I moved my head.  
>"Kaine?" I asked the form under the blanket. He hadn't moved much, but by the lack of response it was clear he wasn't conscious.<p>

Suddenly Renji's door burst open, the screaming of walkers suddenly a hundred times louder. I squinted away from the blare of the setting sun outlining the form in his doorway. My vision was starting to get blurry so I couldn't make out who it was, but suddenly Renji was yanked from his seat and the door shut again.

My door burst open just then and I screamed as someone pulled me from my seat.

"WAIT! KAINE, get the kid first!" I screamed, holding onto my seat belt as the tugged me from the car.

"We got 'im, stop yer yellin'!" The person screamed back as the roughly dragged me around to a large black car. I was deposited in the back seat just as the car took off, tires squealing as they charged away from the scene.

My head lulled against the leather seat, a moan escaping me at the pain of the movement. Defiantly a fractured skull and most likely a concussion. My eyes rolled around the car as it jostled me, seeing the slumped over form of Renji next to me with Kaine lying still in his lap. In the front seat were two different forms, one with brown hair and the other blue...

"G-grimmjow?" I slurred out, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth.

The large blue haired man turned around with an ear-splitting grin, "Got yourself in a little bit o' trouble there berry? Ya doin' okay?"

My eyes slid shut just then, a burst of extreme pain blooming from the side of my head as the car went over a speed bump.

"He doesn't look to good, we need to get him back to camp" A soothing voice said from in front of me. I didn't hear Grimmjow answer, but it felt like the car sped up a little. Consciousness slipped away from me then, a world of black sucking me in.

XXXXXXX

"Don't touch ma shit ya brat!" A loud scream echoed in my ears, followed by a high pitched giggle that had me rolling over to escape it. Pain bloomed on the side of my head as I put pressure on the injury, causing me to cringe and open my eyes.

A tent. I was laying in a dark green sleeping bag in a sky blue tent, sun filtering through and creating a soft, warm feeling against my skin. I sat up slowly, careful not to jostle my aching head. I ran a hand over the bandages on the side of my face, tugging at a few strands of my hair that was caught in the bandages while my eyes roamed. The tent was sparsely furnished, only my sleeping bag atop a queen air mattress and a bag over in the corner. There was a card table in the other corner with an assortment of small weapons, all looking clean and well polished.

I stood slowly, knowing I had to pace myself. Someone had changed me into some light grey Nike sweats and a loose black tank. Whoever's clothes these were, they were a couple sizes lager then me, but they would work for now. I felt like I hadnt taken a shower in months, but the clean clothes made me feel a little more civilized. My feet were bare, but I figured I could deal with a few slivers after what had happened.

I unzipped the tent, which opened up to reveal a very domestic looking camp site. Six tents were in a row next to me, a metal camping kitchen in front, a campfire next to that with chairs scattered around it, and the black truck witha motorcycle parked next to that. The sun was over head at mid-day, telling me I had slept for at least fifteen hours. It was warm, a nice warmth that on any normal day would make me want to spend that day outside just _appreciating_ it.  
>A short black haired man was busy cleaning off the dishes in the kitchen sink, his movement precise as he set each dish away perfectly clean. His hair was long, brushing against his shoulders as he moved. At the unlit camp fire sat a snoozing brown haired man leaning back in a camp chair, his mouth open in a silent snore. He had long hair as well, although it fell in slight waves. His strong jaw was covered in light stubble leading to a small goatee, giving him a I-dont-give-a-shit look without even being awake.<p>

As I studied the two a giggle arose from behind me, causing me to turn quickly and quirk an eyebrow at the kid grinning up at me impishly.

"Hey! Your better!" She exclaimed, flicking her blond-almost-white short hair as she jumped on the balls of her feat. She wore a short brown vest over a red tank top, the collar of her vest sticking up past her chin. Her legs were covered with jean shorts and red knee high socks, black converse adorning her small feet. In her hand she was clutching a huge gleaming knife, which I glanced nervously at as she continued to grin at me. Something crashed in the woods behind her and then a furious yell followed. She laughed and glanced over her shoulder before turning back to me, "Well I gotta go, but you should go find Grimm. He should be around here somewhere." She raced off around me before I could answer just as a huge form emerged from the forest cursing.

"God DAMN that kid! Stark, get yer lazy ass up and help me catch yer sister!"

My eyes widened as the man stretched up to his full height, something near seven feet. His massive length was only emphasized by his lanky thin body, but it was obvious he was extremely muscular still. He had long black hair that hung straight past his shoulders with an eye patch that was crudely tapped over his left eye. As his crazy dark grey eyes landed on me, a wide piano grin spread across his face.

"HO HO! Looky here! Grimms lil' pet is awake!" He screeched, taking long strides towards me. I eyed him warily, his unwavering grin irritatiing me instantly. He leaned in close, _too close_, encroaching on my personal space as he cocked his head only inches away from mine.

I glared at him but didn't back away.

"Yer a pretty one alright, too bad Grimmy likes ya or you'd be in my tent tonight."

"Fuck off ass hole." I grumbled, my headache rearing back up.

If possible his smile spread even further as he opened up his gigantic mouth and let out peels of manical laughter. My eye twitched, and I seriously concidered punching the guy in the balls.

"Please Nnorita, keep your voice down." A calm voice spoke from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at the shorter black haired man, his face emotionless despite his annoyed tone.

"Tch, whatever. Where'd that brat go?" The man, Nnorita I presumed, grumbled as he stalked off, seemingly losing interest in me instantly. I glared at his retreating form, knowing I wasn't going to like that guy.

"I apologize for Nnorita's rudeness." The guy spoke again, drawing my attention back to him. He had piercing eyes, the brightest green I had ever seen and they were only emphasized by his extremely pale skin. He wore a tattered black Metallica sweat shirt and dirty dark jeans, the cord of his head phones hanging around his neck showing that he had been listening to music before Nnoritas appearance, "Ulquiorra Cifer."

"What?" I asked, shaking my head in confusion.

"My name, Ulquiorra Cifer. You are Ichigo correct?"

I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck nervously, "Oh, yeah. I'm Ichigo Korusaki" God I felt like an idiot, but it was most likely the concussion. I wasn't _normally_ so slow…

Ulquiorra nodded and turned back to his dishes, returning to his previous robot like movements, "Your friends are still asleep in our extra tent; they are fully recovered but resting." He paused and pointed at the man sleeping at the camp fire, "That is Coyote Stark, the brother of the girl you saw, Lilynette." He returned back to the dishes and I walked closer, leaning against the metal countertop, "Nnorita Gilga was the other imbecile you met, and you will meet Nelliel later. Grimmjow told us to find him when you awoke, but I am unsure of when he will return from bathing."

I nodded, looking around the rest of the campsite, "How long have you guys been here?"

"We have been a group for since the beginning but only moved here yesterday. I knew Grimmjow and Nnoitra before, we just happened to meet Stark and Lilynette a few days after the outbreak. There were more in our group, but we were attacked a couple days ago and lost six when they were caught in their car. Do not bring them up around the others, they are more….sensitive." His face remained the same expression, but his voice sounded strained as he spoke of their lost, "You are lucky Grimmjow decided to follow you after returning back to camp, Stark informed us of the heard you were caught in." Ulquiorra's intense eyes flicked up to mine, "Grimmjow does not usually save others, be grateful."

I gulped and looked away, wondering if everyone in the ragtag group was so…strange. Just then Lilynette sprinted back through the camp, Nnoitra hot on her heels. She skipped and jumped over the sleeping form of her brother and before Nnoitra could react he went crashing into Starks chair. I cringed as they both went tumbling to the ground, Lilynette snickering with laughter safely on the other side of the fire pit.

"GOD DAMNIT!" Nnoitra screamed as he disentangled himself from the very ruffled looking Stark. Nnoitra lunged across the pit at Lilynette, but she easily dodged from him and he ended up with a face full of dirt.

I smirked a little, holding in my laughter at his awkward looking landing, his lanky body scrunched against the ground with his ass sticking up. Lilynette skipped over to her brother, who was once again sitting in his chair and looking like a waking bear.

"Lily, give him back his knife." Stark mumbled out sternly, causing the young girl to pout. Stark flicked his stony grey eyes to her and she let out a dramatic sigh.

"Ooookay, here ya go Nno-Nno" She said overly sweet, throwing the knife with precision over the pit to land next to the angry man's face. I gulped slightly, wondering wear such a young girl had learned to throw like that.

"Bitch." Nnoitra growled as he yanked the knife out of the dirt, before standing and stomping off. If he were a cartoon he steam would probably be spewing from his ears.

Lilynette sat down around the pit as her brother went back to snoozing, her wild light brown eyes landing on me with interest.

"You! You're Ichigo right?" She asked sweetly, swinging her legs happily.

"Yep." I answered, pushing off the counter and walking over to take a seat across the fire pit from her, "And you're Lilynette? How old are you?"

"Nine!" She announced happily.

I smirked at her enthusiasm, "You're the same age my little sisters"

"Yeah? Where are they? Im bored without anyone to play with" She asked, tilting her head with her smile still in place.

I started, my eyes growing sad as I remembered my failed mission. Starks eyes were now open, there hazy grayness staring at me knowingly.

"Is that why you were travelling through the city?" He spoke, his voice a gruff drawl that reminded me of an old western movie, but without the accent.

I squeezed my eye's shut and nodded, a sigh of anguish escaping me, "We live over in the neighborhoods on the other side of the city, it seemed smart to cut through to save time 'cause it was getting late. And the road blocks made it hard to get around… I had no clue it would be like that" I scrubbed my hands over my face, drawing them down and staring into the empty fire pit.

"We lost our friends last week, but my brother says that their safe now and they don't have to fight anymore monsters. That's good right?" Lilynette spoke up, her expression so innocent; just like Yuzo and Karin.

I smiled at her, a weak smile probably but it was all I could give her at the moment, "Right, yeah that's true. But I'm sure there okay, my dad wouldn't let anything happen to them." I looked over at Stark, who was still watching me intently, "Is there any way I could borrow one of your cars? I know it's a lot to ask, but I really need to get to them as soon as possible."

"**No way in hell**" I jumped at the gruff voice coming from right behind me. I looked over my shoulder at Grimmjow, standing there with only a pair of loose black swim trunks and a towel around his shoulders. He was dripping wet, his light blue hair now darker and slicked back. As much as I wish I could say that I didnt stare instantly at his perfectly sculpted body...his chest and stomach looking like they were sculpted to perfection. I forced myself to tear my eyes away from that beautiful sight, looking up at his bright blue eyes and battling the blush that wanted to surface.

"Why the hell not?' I asked once I'd come back to myself, suddenly realizing he has refused my plea to find my family.

"Im not wastin' _my_ car for your fruitless suicide mission." He drawled out, walking around my seat to plop down next to Lilynette across from me. He ran the white towel through his hair, scrubbing it dry and making it stand up crazily, "And besides, the only other vehicle we have other than mine is Starks motorcycle, which I don't think ya know how to drive even if he let ya take it"

I flicked my eyes to Stark, but he only shrugged and shut his eyes, seeming to fall asleep almost instantly.

"Well then _you_ can take me!" I demanded, getting irritated at Grimmjow's lack of concern, "I need to find my family, so unless you want me to walk across the city then you better damn help!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, tossing the damp towel over the camp chair next to him, "Im not givin' ya my car and I'm not gonna travel across the city like you did. See how that worked out for ya? Yer stupid for not followin' my advice, I told ya you couldn't make it through."

"You did not, you said to make sure our car was able to handle some zombies! You didn't tell me to make sure it could handle a city full!" I shouted back, getting heated. Why in the world did I always want to punch the living shit out of this guy every god-damned time we started talking?

"Tch, whatever. Ya didn't listen." Grimmjow grumbled, rolling his eyes, "The answers still no, yer not even in any shape to travel. Wait a couple a days, maybe I'll change my mind."

I glared at him, my eyebrows pulled so far forward I was starting to get a headache again. He was right though, I was already tired and I'd only been awake for a half hour. I couldn't just leave Renji and Kaine without knowing they were alright and it would be nice to be able to relax one more night before setting out again. But one day could make so much of a difference in this world...

"_Fine._" I conceded, leaning back in the chair and crossing my arms, "But I want to leave by tomorrow."

"Talk to me after tomorrow and I'll think about it." Grimmjow countered, then stood up and walked over to the tent I had been sleeping in, "And yer gonna need another sleepin' bag, cause I'm not sleeping in the cold another night."

I watched him slip into the tent, zipping it closed behind him. He let me have his sleeping bag and tent? I felt my face heat up, which irritating me even more. How could I find a man this attractive but still feel like I wanted to punch him in the balls every time we talked? Goddamn it…I shook my head slightly and turned back around, only to find Lilynette an inch away from my face.

"Ya like Grimmy or somethin'?" She asked, leaning closer and peering into my face.

"N-no!" I sputtered, craning my head away from her as she leaned in closer still.

She narrowed her eyes and she smirked wolfishly, "Then why're ya blushing like a strawberry?"

Of course I happened to flush again right then, making her break out in a fit out loud Nnoitra sounding cackles, "Don't worry! _I_ won't tell anyone. You owe my though." She winker at me and then skipped away, probably to go wreak havoc somewhere else.

I sighed and leaned back in the chair, exhausted even with my long sleep. Stark was slumped over in the chair next to me, snoozing, and I could hear Ulquiorra still clanking away behind me. I leaned back, trying to make myself as comfortable as Stark looked and finding it very difficult, but succeeded after a few moments, my head resting against one corner and my feet propped up against another chair.

I took one last glance around the campsite tiredly and then drifted off, the warm afternoon sun relaxing me almost instantly.

XXXXXXXX

For the second time that day I woke up to the sound of laughter, although this time I recognized it without even opening my eyes. Renji must be awake, cause there no way I would misplace that loud, hyena laugh.  
>I yawned and stretched, my neck cramped up from the awkward angle I had moved to. It was dark now, the only light coming from the strong fire everyone was gathered around.<p>

Stark still hadn't moved from his spot, although he was sitting up with a bowl of food now. Lilynette was eating beside him, now wearing an oversized army jacket with 'Coyote' stamped on the name tag. Nnorita was next to her, looking a lot calmer without his grin, although the eye-patch still threw me off a little. Ulquiorra was next to me, eating dinner like everyone else. Renji sat between him and a long green-blue haired, very large chested girl. He was laughing comicaly, cackling like a mad man as Kaine ate silently on his lap. The girl was talking animatedly, her arms spreading out wide as she explained.

"-And then, this ice cream truck came out of NOWHERE and slammed into the telephone pole! The zombie kids were all chasing after it and the poor ice cream man chose that moment to escape out the back!"

Leave it to Renji to find the death of an ice cream man funny. The rest of the camp was silent, all choosing to ignore the antics of the other two.

As soon as Renji calmed down he noticed me and grinned widely, "Hey man! We thought you were dead or somethin' for a while. You doin' okay?" He asked while Kaine climbed out of his lap and walked over to mine, crawling up and giving me a smile reminiscent of his mother. A pang went through my heart, but I quelled it to smile back at him. I smoothed back his hair and situated him more comfortably on my lap as I turned back to Renji.

"Yeah, just tired is all. You guys undamaged?"

"Bruised ribs and a sprained wrist for me, Kaine's just a little shaken up." I nodded and squeezed the kid, happy that he was fine.

"Hello Itsygo!" The green haired girl called over cheerily, waving childishly.

"Its Ichigo" I corrected, but waved back anyway.

"That's what I said, Itsygo! I'm Nel."

I dropped it, not feeling like arguing with her, "Nice to meet you Nel."

"Are you hungry at all? Ulqi made chili, it's still warm."

I nodded eagerly, realizing I hadn't eaten since Renji's house, if you could even call half a sandwich eating, "Yeah, that would be great." I thanked her when she handed me a bowl of chili from the pot over the fire and I sat back to eat.

I watched silently as Nnoitra got in yet another fight with Lilynette, which was easily dispersed by a look from Stark. Ulquiorra was quiet for the most part, observing silently like me, although he looked much more bored. Renji talked animatedly with Nel, both of them reverting to a more teenage like demeanor. I was happy he was okay, not looking to be in pain at all. But i knew he was, it was Renji's way of dealing with things. He pretended to be okay, but as soon as he was alone he would breakdown. I knew frist hand, having been the one to help him almost everytime he needed to come back to reality...  
>I shook my head and looked back at the flames, trying to ignore my depressing thoughts and focus on now. I was relaxed, for the first time in what felt like years, although it was really only a couple days. These people were weird, but we fit right in. And having this safe little paradise was nice, made me feel content.<br>I shouldnt be allowed to feel this way though, not with my family missing. This was temporary, but as soon as I found them I could have this again...I just needed that damn car...

I lifted my head, realizing Grimmjow was missing. I almost asked his whereabouts, but after Lilynettes accusation I was afraid to ask.

"Ichi, you okay?" Kaine whispered to me as he leaned back against my chest, a soft yawn escaping him.

I kissed the back of his head, "Of course buddy, just missing my family."

He nodded and sighed, "I'm worried about them too."

I almost started to tear up at how adult he sounded, but instead I buried my face into his shoulder and nodded, "Yeah buddy, they'll be fine though."

Kaine stayed silent, but I was sure he was staring into the fire with those too-wise eyes of his. What I would give for him to be a normal kid with a normal childhood.

"Grimmy's back!" Nel yelled as the sound of a loud motor filled the area and the beams of his car flooded the campsite. The SUV parked next to Starks sleek black motorcycle and Grimmjow jumped out, a loud gasp escaping Nel at his appearnce. He was covered in blood splatters, his hair was sticking out strangely from the dried blood that had soaked in into a purplish color. He approached the campfire with a limp, his aura that of an angry and dangerous animal.

"Are you alright Grimmy?" Nel asked anxiously as he flung his gun on the ground next to a chair and collapsed down into it, a heavy sigh escaping him.

"How was it?" Stark asked, surprising me be his sudden alertness.

Grimmjow sat forward, leaning against his knees with his elbows as he worked his hands through his blood crusted hair, "Over-run as always. I tried making a run in for some more medication, but the place is a hell pit. I did manage to grab some Advil though." He tossed to pill bottle across the fire at me, "That's for your swelling, give some to Red when you're done." I nodded, taking out a few pills and popping them as he continued, "One of them grabbed my ankle and knocked me to the ground, but I shot him in the face. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it back…The sucker's were fast, there getting hungry. I don't think were going to be able to make another run there anymore"

The fire had grown silent as we all stared into the flames, the only sound coming from the crackle of the burning wood and the pills rattling in the bottle as I passed them down.

"So where'd you three come from?" Nnorita asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"State forest, we were camping for the last two weeks, just got out a couple days ago." Renji explained, "We went to my house and got Kaine and…"

"They saved me from my mommy." Kaine finished for his dad. I frowned into the fire, my chest tightening to hear him speak so easily about the death of his mother.

That heavy silence fell once again, most of them probably shocked by Kaines indifference. I sqeezed him, knowing he was only trying to be strong for his dad.

"Kaine, I think its bed time." Renji said as he stood and walked over to pick him up off my lap.

Kaine shook his head, yawning, "I'm not tired."

Renji chuckled and picked him up effortlessly, "Right, of course you aren't, but _I'm _tired." Kaine layed his head against his fathers shoulder as Renji turned back to the group, "Night everyone"

A chorus of goodnights followed as he walked back to his tent, then fell back into silence. The group started to look tired, and soon Ulquiorra, Nel, Stark and Lilynette said goodnight and headed back to their tents as well. Nnoitra filled up a bowl of chili before he left, saying he needed food all night or he'd sleep walk.

"_So_…" I said when it was just me and Grimmjow. He'd removed his shirt to use as a mop for the blood on his forehead and I was having a really hard time not staring at his god-like body, "Where am I sleeping?"  
>Grimmjows eyes slid from the fire to meet mine, a wide grin breaking over it, "Well, we could snuggle."<p>

I glared at him, very glad for our distance and the heat of the fire so he wouldn't notice my blush, "You don't have another sleeping bag?"

"I have some blankets you can use, we can share the mattress."

"I don't- "

"It's a queen, you can share it pansy-ass." Grimmjow remarked as he stretched and yawned, his muscles quivering as he flexed, "Let's get that shit figured out now, I gotta get up early for huntin'."

I nodded, following him to the tent after he tossed some dirt and water on the burning embers.

He was right; the air mattress was big enough for us both to fit comfortably. He handed me two large blankets and a sweatshirt, saying I'd have to deal without a pillow.

He fell asleep almost instantly, his back turned to me in the dark. I rolled over and faced away from him as well, staring at the walls of the tent. I was wired and awake now that I was laying down in bed, especially with this hellishly attractive man laying next to me.

**_'Maybe we can have some fun, ne?'_**

My eyes widened and I shook my head, attempting to dispel _that_ voice.

"Shut up." I whispered, burying my face in the crook of my arm.

The voice cackled and I could almost picture the grin it was making. A mix between Grimmjow's and Nnoitra's most likely.

**_'Don't be so mean Aibou, I just want ya to have what ya want. And Big Blue is a pretty great catch! I bet we could have some fun!'_**

"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled, my eyes widening at my outburst.

Grimmjow's eyes opened blearily and he rolled over, blinking at me for a moment, "What?"

I stared at him and laughed nervously, "Nothing, go back to sleep."

The blue haired man frowned and looked like he was going to say something, but then he followed my orders and went back to sleep anyway, his mouth falling open as he breathed lightly.

The voice seemed to have retreated, so I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, drifting off after several moments.

_"Ya know, we really could make a great team King." A voice called out to me, making my eyes shoot open. I gazed out into a sideways world of blue sky and giant skyscrapers. The heavy clouds traveled vertically in comparison to the horizontal buildings that I stood on._  
><em>I looked around frantically for the voice, almost jumping away when I found myself. Not myself exactly, but an exact replica except for the bleached albino appearance. This beings eyes were inverted gold and black nd his grin was exactly how I had pictured it.<em>

_"Welcome to yer mind Aibou."_

_I glared at him, shifting away, "What do you mean?"_

_"Well, yer dreamin', and this place is what you created to represent yerself, or somethin' lik' that…" The he looked around, smirking slightly, "Ya got'a fucked up mind King!"_

_I widened as he suddenly appeared inches away from me, his blue tongue slipping out to lick his lips, "This may sound real ' narcissistic, but yer sexy as fuck King. Good 'nuff ta eat."_

_My eyes widened even further and before I could protest, he leaned forward and roughly captured my lips with his pale ones. I pulled away, only to have his hands snake through my hair and pull me back into his mouth. I pulled my arms up and shoved him away with all my strength, gasping as I whipped my moth, "The fuck? What do you think you're doing?"_

_He laughed and raised an eyebrow at me, "Showin' ya some fun, ya know- dominatin' ya an' shit."_

_"I don't want to be fuckin' dominated!" I yelled at him, throwing my arms up, "Im a guy!"_

_He laughed again, louder this time, "Right, and yer cock wasn't twitchin' every time Grimmjow moved t'night."_

_I swallowed and looked away, "Not true at all. And not even the point."_

_The form smirked and slid closer to me, eyes brimming with mischief, "Let me help ya with yer problem King, it'll help ya resist Big Blue in the real world."_

_I glared at him, about to shake my head when he suddenly grabbed me through my sweats. I stiffened, my eyes growing wide as he moved pamled me, massaging languidly._

_"Relax Ichigo, ya need to learn ta relax." He whispered sensually as he moved closer, capturing my lips once again. I jerked away at first, but he slipped his hand in my pants and grasped my dick harshly, enlisting a moan that left my mouth wide open. His tongue invaded again, mapping out every inch and stroaking against my own. I ran my hands through his white hair, tugging him closer as he increased the pressure on my hardening length. _

_I felt a wide grin spread across his face as I thrust forward into his hand, his other hand slinking down to grip my hips in place._

_"See, yer even havin' trouble with this. Imagine if we got in'another fight with Big Blue again! His body all over us..." My white doppelganger whispered into my ear. The idea of Grimmjow doing what he was doing only made me even harder, and cock now straining as he contiuned to pump._

_Suddenly he had me pinned to the ground, my hips thursting even harder as he released my mouth and moved to my neck, sucking down of my pulse point. _

_"Wh-what's your name?" I finally got out, my eyes connecting to his strange ones as he released my neck._

_"Don't got one, call me what ya want. Call me Grimmjow." He teased, capturing my lips once again and slipping his tounge in expertly. I wondered for a moment if he was me, then how'd he get so good at this, but my thoughts were dispelled as he cupped my balls and massaged gently, my eyes rolling back at the feeling._

_He removed himself from my mouth, leaving a link of saliva that broke as he moved further down. He ran his tongue down the length of my chest to my naval, staring into my eyes with his strange inverted ones. When he reached my shaft he leaned back a little and stared at the weeping head, then leaned down and took the whole thing in at once. _

_"God-" I moaned out, throwing my head back against the ground. He hummed, the vibrations seeming to run throughout my whole body and making my quiver. He contiuned to bobb his head, my hips thrusted into his mouth until he clamped his hands on them to hold them still. He ran his teeth along the underside of my length, sending me overthe edge as I released into his mouth. _  
><em>My body instantly slumped down, my head lulled back as my chest heaved. I felt him release me, then slinked up my body to plant a salty kiss on my lips. I furrowed my brows at the taste of myself on his lips, opening up my eyes to stare into his yellow ones. He smirked at me, his teeth gleaming white in the grey lighting of my inner world.<em>

_"Shiro."_

_He cocked his head, looking like a confused golden retriever, "What?"_

_"That's your name, Shiro."_

_He smiled, an actual genuine smile that left my slightly confused, "Alright King, Shiro it is."_

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><p>I am a horrible person. This took way to long, I apologize. This one is longer then the rest and I've already started on the next so hopefully I can get it out much faster :) And I hopefully made up for the delay by the uh...ending. I wasn't going to have that pairing in this, but it came to me and I love them so much together...Grimm will have some trouble fighting for that one.<p>

Hope you enjoyed, reviews are loved :)


	6. Chapter 5

Enjoy the male bonding in this one :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Five, <strong>_**Rule 32: Enjoy The Little Things**

I woke up very aware of where I was. Thankfully I didn't have any morning surprises in the downwards department, even with the events of my…'_dream_' last night. I inhaled slowly, then let out a spurting cough as my eyes flew open.

"What the fuck Grimmjow?" I hissed out at the man, who was sitting up in bed with only a pair of boxers on, joint in hand as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

His gaze lazily swung over to me, a grin stretching across his face as he made eye contact. The slight redness that was present from his smoking only seemed to extenuate the bright blue of his eyes, reminding me of a tropical ocean on the brightest, sunniest day ever.  
>"Mornin' berry. Want a lil' wake n' bake?" He drawled, a slight southern twang I had never noticed before seeping through his deep rumbling voice. I stared at him, utterly lost in his being for a few moments before I realized I was supposed to reply.<p>

I sat up and shook my head, pulling my gaze from him with some difficulty, "No, I don't smoke".

"Shame that is" He answered back, clicking his zippo and re-lighting, "Ya need to relax a lil'. Might help yer headache"

"I don't have a headache" I lied, but only for dignity's sake, "And I'm relaxed enough"

Grimmjow snorted, sending him into a fit of coughs because he hadn't released the smoke yet. Once he'd recovered he gave me a wolfish grin and shook his head, "Yer like a cocked gun that's never been released Ichigo. Maybe that's why yer crazy as fuck. Let go a little man" He held the joint out to me and I stared at it warily, "If you can't enjoy a little bit of God's gift to man now, then when can ya?"

I narrowed my eyes at the weed as I held it between my fingers, swallowing down my nervousness.

**_"Dont be a pussy Abioe, ya might have a lil' fun"_**

Shut up Shiro.

"Shit, its not gonna kill ya. Inhale, hold it, release"  
>I glared at Grimmjow, who just rolled his eyes and leaned back into his pillow to stare at the ceiling of the tent.<br>I parted my lips and breathed in the smoke, pulling it deep into my lungs before pulling the joint away. My eyes fell closed, but I felt Grimmjow take it from me before I opened my mouth and slowly released the smoke.  
>I opened my eyes and looked down at the blue haired man lounging in front of me, his eyes intense, "You've smoked before" He stated, brows pulled forward.<p>

"I said I don't smoke, not that I haven't. Med students get stressed"

He nodded, passing the blunt back to me after his drag, "So yer a doctor?"

I nodded, moving to lay down next to him and stare at the ceiling, "Almost was, pre-med. Good too"

"Cocky shit" He snorted, but I just shrugged.

"Have to be to make it in that world"

He nodded and we fell silent for a moment, staring up at the light blue canvas ceiling above us. Early morning light filled the tent and created a soft glow on everything, warming the mattress to perfection. In that moment I would have been happy to never move, to just stay there and pretend the world hadnt gone to shit outside.  
>The bed shifted as Grimmow shifted, sitting up to roll another joint.<p>

"Where'd you get all this?" I asked, thinking that finding a dealer in this world might be a little hard.  
>Grimmjow gave me a cocky over the shoulder smirk, one that made me feel like someone had just taken a bowling ball to my chest, "We all weren't doctors before the apocalypse Ichigo. Had to make our money somehow"<p>

"So you dealt?"

He shook his head, turning back to his work, "Nah, higher than that. In the great chain of the drug world, I was way up there. Not the top, maybe second string. Aizen was a son-of-a-bitch but he knew his shit well"

Not knowing who the hell he was takling about, I choose to ignore that statement, "What else did you sell?"

He scooted back next to me, handing the new joint over with his silver zippo, "Everything. Mostly weed 'cause I liked it the most. But if someone asked for somethin' I got it"

I nodded and took the first drag, coughing a little cause of the access paper, "So on your list of things to bring during an apocalypse you thought of drugs?" I wasn't judging, honestly, but you'd think maybe he'd have other priorities.  
>Grimmjow chuckled, thankfully not sounding offended at all, "Nah, I went back into the city a couple days ago to grab some supplies from my apartment and grabbed this while I was there. It helps though, lets us forget. Everyone was thankful, well except the kid 'cause Stark won't let her join. Don't know why, I started around that age"<br>I smirked and shook my head, forcing myself to not go all 'doctory' and tell him how bad that was. Instead I choose to lean back again into the pillow and divert my attention to the ceiling, "What time is it?"

"No clue, probably time to get up. I woke up with the sun, so it can't be passed 6:30. Time for us ta move though"

"Us?" I turned my attention back to him, frowning.

He grinned at me, his teeth gleaming, "Yeah us, as payment for sharing my bed yer gonna come fishin' with me"

XXXXX

Normally I would have kicked the shit out of anyone that had woken me up, smoked me out, gotten me higher then fuck and still expected me to function normally. But once we'd changed and Grimmjow had dragged me down to the lake, I realized that this wasn't that bad. Pretty nice actually.  
>I was lying in the back of the boat, using Grimmjow's sweat shirt as a headrest as we floated in the middle of the lake. The morning sun blared down on us, making it almost unbearably hot. But I was fine with it, the heat a good distraction from the world on the shore. Grimmjow was sitting in the middle, his legs kicked up over the side while his knee's held the fishing pole in place.<br>I should have been weirded out by the fact that we'd been out there for an hour and hadn't said a single word, but I was just too comfortable to read too much into that. The only other person I was comfortable enough around to not ramble like an idiot was Renji.

I peeked a look over at Grimmjow, his head was leaned back against the side of the boat, strong chin tilted up as his face caught the strength of the sun's rays. His hair was swept back, not styled with gel today like usual. I liked it, the way it blew in the soft breeze and the way he was forced to run his hand through it to keep it out of his eyes.  
>I frowned and closed my eyes again, hateing how much of a frickin' <em>girl<em> I sounded like. _I liked how his hair blew in the wind? _Got fucking damn'it…

"Aren't cha' gonna get burned?" Grimmjow interrupted my thoughts.

I opened my eyes and looked at him, startled by the fact that he was sitting up and looking at me earnestly.  
>"No. Why?"<p>

"Yer a red-head, don't cha' burn easily?"  
>I glared at him, a vein popping out on my forehead, "No, asshole. I'm part Irish, I tan naturally"<p>

"Don't need ta snap, I was just curious"  
>I sighed and shook my head, "Im just used to getting shit about my hair is all"<p>

He nodded, "Yeah, I get it"  
>I sat up, cracking my neck and rolling my shoulder, "God its hot out here.."<p>

"Yeah"

"You get anything?" I glanced down at his fish bag, noting its emptiness.

"Nope"

"You guys have food though right?"

"Yeah, I just wanted fish" He looked so frickin' disappointed, like a cat that didn't get to eat the household goldfish. My lips twitched as I tried to restrain my laughter and I quickly turned my head away.

"What?" He asked, the boat rocking as he moved his legs in, "Why're you laughing?"

"N-no reason" God damnit..

"Tell me now" The boat rocked again and I scouted away as I felt him near.

"Hell to the fucking no, now stay on your side!" I felt the boat rock and I turned back towards him.

Grimmjow stood, the boat swaying, a lecherous smork spread across his face, "What if I tip the boat?" He asked, leaning to one side and moving the boat ever so slightly.

"Grimmjow don't you dare!" I yelled, grabbing on to either side as if to steady it.

He grinned, a cackle escaping him, "Tell me what you were laughin' 'bout"

"It was nothing!"

If anything his grin spread further and he sat down in the boat. I let out a sigh of relief, but then he sucked in a breath and leaned as far as he could to one side, pulling the boat with him.  
>I hate to admit it, but I screamed. We rolled into the water, gurgling escaping me as my scream continued under water. Of course I sucked in a mouth full as well, resulting in coughing and more embarrassment.<br>I splashed to the surface next to the overturned canoe, coughing out the lake water and treading water as best I could.  
>Grimmjow was in front of me, laughing like crazy while he worked on over turning the boat.<br>"Are you fuckin' CRAZY?" I yelled at him once I'd recovered.  
>He flipped the boat and only continues to laugh in reply, an infectious laugh that had me joining in. My high was still there, which only fueled the outrageous laughter even more. Grimmjow had to practically drag me back into the boat, both of us finding every single action we made the funniest damn thing in the world.<p>

I laid there, slouched over in the boat trying to catch my breath. Grimmjow was leaned up against the side next to me, his head tilted back catching the sun. He was pressed as close as possible to me and I could feel the heat from his body through my clothes.

_**"Ichi', ya know what ya want. Take it"**  
><em>  
>I furrowed my brows and turned away from Grimmjow, fighting against Shiro's whispers. But Grimmjow's heat was still all I could feel….I imagined turning, running my hands through that wet blue hair and finally kissing his god-damn perfect lips. He'd pull back at first, then flip us over in the canoe and kiss me back, touch me everywhere, take me just like I had wanted him to do when I first met him...<p>

"Ichigo?" I broke out of my mind, eyes wide as I realized what I had been doing. _Right next to him_. I could hear Shiro cackling in the back of my mind and I knew he was partly responsible for my over active imagination.

I sat up, pulling away from the man next to me even though my mind screamed for me to do the opposite. Grimmjow was staring at me, his eyes looking like they knew. I _hated_ it, how he seemed to be able to read me at any given moment. He knew I was crazy, he knew I had Shiro stirring around under the surface, poking at my cracks until one day I let him take over...  
>I expected him to confront me, but he simply grabbed the paddles and handed one to me. "Sha'll we head back?<br>I nodded, taking the offered tool from him and turning back to my spot in the boat, glad I wouldnt have to deal with that confrontation.

XXXXX

When we turned back at camp empty handed, everyone laughed and said they hadn't expected much. That had pissed Grimmjow off so much that he threw down his equipment and stomped off to his tent, zipping it closed like he would slam a door.  
>I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. He looked so much like an angry child being made fun of and it contradicted so much with his so called <em>'bad boy'<em> demeanor. I joined Renji, Kaine, and Nel at the campfire, where Nel was busy teaching Kaine the logistics of poker. He looked like he was paying attention, but by the light dusting of red on his cheecks I think he liked his instructor more than the game.  
>"Ren, can I talk to you?" I asked five minutes later, after Kaine had somehow managed to beast his father's hand of double aces. Renji nodded and threw down his cards, giving Kaine a dirty look that made the little kid grin triumphantly.<p>

We stood and walked towards the trees, both of us silent until we were hidden from the view of camp.

"You want to leave" Renji stated, watching me warily a couple feet away.

I look up at him, once again realizing how well we knew eachother, "I can't stand pretending that they aren't out there, alone, and I'm not even trying to help them. Imagine if this was Kaine Ren"

"I can't put him in anymore danger Ichigo"

I nodded, fully understanding, "I don't expect you to come with. I can move faster on my own and theres plenty of weapons here that I'll be safe"

We stared at eachother for a moment before he sighed and leaned back against a tree, "Im not gonna be able ta sway you. I can see that. But I'll help. You have no way out. That Grimmjow guy didn't seem to keen on givin' you a ride. What's yer plan?"

"I wasn't thinking of askin'"

Renji gave me a perplexed look and I nodded over at the big black truck, "I'd only be gone a couple days. He'd miss it, sure, but he'd get it after a while"

Renji turned to the truck, facing away from me. He was silent for a moment, but then he glanced over his shoulder with a wide grin that I knew all too well, "Can't wait to see they look on Grimmjow's face when you take off with that car he loves so much"

I copied his grin, nodding, "This camp'll be hell"

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><p>This is just a small little filler to make you all happy after my long absence. I took so long on the last one that I felt bad so...here ya go!<br>Season Two of The Walking Dead is over, and it ended with a bang. Beleive me when I tell you that a million ideas sprung out of that final episode, so this story is gonna start getting juicy. Or maybe I should say gory?

Anyways, review please :)


	7. Chapter 6

Switching up the formatting I've been useing on all the chapters. No need to worry about it, I just thought I would note it in case your wondering!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p><strong><em>Chapter Six,<em> **Rule 24: No Drinking****

After working out the details with Renji, I went about figuring out how to distract Grimmjow. It wouldn't be that hard to leave if he wasn't keeping such close tabs on me and I guess I should see that as a compliment, but it was making sneaking a hell of a lot more difficult. Grimmjow had yet to leave the tent after his tantrum earlier, but I knew as soon as dinner was ready he would be right next to me, his blue eyes watching me like a hawk.  
>I considered drugging him, but with the lack of medical supplies and my 'doctor conscious' I couldn't figure out how to get that one to work.<br>Of course, Shiro had many of his own _ideas_. But I ignored his lewd comments as I resorted to the old alcohol trick. I dug through the cooler, grumbling irritably as I only came up with a couple beers.

"What'cha lookin' for cutey?"

"Shit!" I jumped, hitting my head on the lid of the cooler that I had been crouched down inside. I glanced over my shoulder, rubbing my head and glaring at the ridiculously tall man.

"Nnoitra, what do you want?" I grumbled, pulling out of the cooler and closing it slowly.

He grinned at me, quirking an eyebrow, "Ya lookin' for some drinks?"

My eyes widened slightly, surprised he'd been able to guess, "Yeah, how'd you know?"

He chuckled, his never ended grin growing further, "I can tell when someone's cravin' somethin'"

He rolled his eyes down my body in an uncomfortable manor, making me itch to either punch him in the face or get the hell out of there.  
>"I'm not craving anything, I just wanted to thank Grimmjow for today"<br>Nnoitra stared at me for a moment and then let out a horrifically loud laugh. I re-thought over what I had just said and sighed, realizing how bad that sounded.  
>"Okay, shut up, that's not what I meant-"<p>

"Nah nah , no need ta explain. Ya wanna get Grimmy drunk? I got just the thing" Nnoitra turned and stalked off towards his tent and with a sigh I followed him.

He ducked inside, ruffled around in there for a while, then came out and handed me a giant bottle of Everclear. I stared at the heavy alcohol, turning it around in my hands to read its label.  
>"95% ABV?" I spurted.<p>

"Only thing that'll work with him, he's a tank. Plus that's shits his favorite, no clue why. Gonna take some convincin' ta get him to drink, but I'm sure yer' up for the job" Nnoritra looked like he was having way to much fun with this.

"Uhm…thanks?" I mumbled, pulling my sweatshirt off to wrap the giant bottle in, "Hey Nnoitra, can you not mention this to anyone?"

He zipped up his tent and gave me a smirk, winking, "Course, ya owe me though"

I shivered, not wanting to think about what that was and turned back towards Grimmjow's tent to hide the bottle for later tonight.

XXXXXXX

"You got it all worked out Ichi?" Renji asked me when him and Kaine had returned from their hike with Nel. Kaine was following the beautiful green haired woman around with an adoring smile, which she returned happily. It seemed that Nel was a natural born mother, although sometimes her personality resembled more of a five year old then a 29 year old.

"Yeah, Nnoitra gave me a bottle of Everclear" I whispered quietly back, not that I really needed to. The only person in hearing distance was Stark and he was once again sleeping silently across the campfire.

Renji raised his eye brows, his lips quirking into an impish smile, "Where'd he get Everclear? And I thought you hated drinking!"

"Yeah, I do, but that's not the point. It's not me who's getting drunk tonight. And I have no idea where he got it, looked like he had a huge stash in his tent too" Actually, the more I thought about it, most of the people here seemed a little…off. After learning about Grimmjow's drug dealing I was beginning to become a lot more curious on this ragtag group of survivors. Not that I could say much, considering I had a crazy albino living inside my head.

**_"Funny abiou"_**

Renji crossed his arms and tipped his chair back, his eyes contemplative, "Well, seems like Im going to have to throw a little party while you're gone. You don't mind right?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved him, almost causing him to lose balance and fall backwards. He gave me a dirty glare which I easily laughed off, "Of course not, but don't forget how my dad is. If all that alcohol is gone by the time we get back he's gonna beat your ass"

"You know I can take Isshin any day" Renji scoffed and then stood slowly, stretching his arms over his head, "I promised Ulquiorra I would cook dinner tonight seeing as they helped us out and all. You've got everything from here right?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna wait till everyone goes to sleep before I start anything"

The red head nodded, then turned and started walking towards the kitchen set up, calling out to Ulquiorra to 'teach him how the hell to turn on the stove'. Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes, then glanced up and almost shit himself.  
>Stark was staring at him with his cold grey eyes, calculating Ichigo's movements with a look Ichigo had never seen from the man. Ichigo coughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously as he attempted to avoid Stark's gaze.<p>

"Oh, hey Stark, uh…how was your nap?" Ichigo fumbled over his words, sure as hell Stark hadn't actually been sleeping.

"Very enlightening" Stark spoke, his voice clear of its usual sleepiness, "I hope you know your plan will not work. Grimmjow isn't as stupid as you think"

Ichigo crossed his arms and stared down at the floor. God damn this man, of course his plan was going to work! It was the only way he could get to his family, so it _had_ to work. Ichigo looked up at Stark with hard eyes, his brows furrowed in determination, "It'll work, it has to. Grimmjow doesn't understand family and I get that. Hell, you should be on my side! Imagine if it was Lilynette out there!"  
>Starks eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but the slight change was maybe the strongest emotion Ichigo had seen out of the man. Stark understood and that was all he could hope for. After a moment of silence, Ichigo shifted and stood slowly, "I'm going to leave no matter what and I really hope you wont stop me"<p>

"I won't" Stark mumbled and then let out a sigh of defeat, "But be careful, we've lost enough people already"

Ichigo nodded and walked away, heading down the pathway that led to the lake. He was getting antsy simply sitting around camp and he didn't want to make a mistake like that again. The others in the camp would not be as forgiving as the lazy man.  
>The lake was cooler in the afternoon heat compared to when he was out there earlier. The shadows from the large pine trees stretched over the water and the sun, which was red and orange and beautiful, sat across the tree tops. Ichigo sank down next to the shore, pulling his knees up in front of him as he gazed at the descending globe of heat and the strange colors that mixed around it, creating a pattern of pinks, reds, and yellows that dazzled him. It was so weird that even though the human race was going through such peril, things like a sunset were still beautiful. It just goes to show how little of an effect we truly have on the Earth. The animals would continue to exist, the trees will still grow, and the Earth will still rotate around the sun after the apocalypse has eaten the human race away from the planet.<p>

"It's beautiful" Ichigo jumped, glancing back at whoever had spoken. Nel stood, her eyes gazing up towards the sinking sun like Ichigo had, "I'm sorry if I startled you, I usually come down here to watch the sunset"

The beautiful green haired woman walked over next to Ichigo and sat, her lanky legs stretched forward so her feet dangled in the water. Ichigo turned his attention back to the sun and they both sat in compatible silence until it had disappeared below the tree line. The sky was still bathed in its color, but the glowing orb was hidden.

"Your hair matches it you know" Nel suddenly exclaimed and Ichigo jumped slightly when she ran her hand through his orange tresses, "Are you naturally orange?"

"Are you naturally green?" He asked jokingly, looking at her with a smirk.

She let out a booming laugh, a laugh that sounded like something Grimmjow would make. Ichigos eyes widened in surprise before he let out a chuckle as well.

"No, my hair isn't natural sadly. If only people were born with green hair! I dyed my hair when I was a teenager because I was so irritated with being compared to my sister. The green was a mistake…it was supposed to be purple but something happened and it ended up like this. I liked it though so I kept it up" She absentmindedly played with the ends of her very long hair as she spoke, twirling the green strands in between her fingers, "You would have liked my sister Itsygo, her hair was almost as bright as yours, although hers was blonde"

"Is your sister-"

"Yeah, she died with the others a couple days ago" Nel said solemnly. She let her hair fall from her fingers, her hands now resting loosely on her lap.

Ichigo frowned, not knowing what to say. Talking to patients had always been his strong suit in med school, but when a patient had lost a family member it was always difficult. There was no protocol given to doctors to help a family member mourn. He remembered when his mother had died, he had cried his eyes out in the waiting room. The doctors had all said how sorry they were and asked him if he wanted anything, but none of that had made him feel any better. There was no way to console someone after a loss like that.

"She wasn't dead when I found her" Nel mumbled, her chin tilted up towards the sky as her green eyes welled with tears, "We killed the monsters that were feeding off them and pulled their bodies out, all six of them. My sister was one of the few that was still alive, but she….she had been bitten already. She made me promise her that I would not mourn her like she had seen others doing. She wanted me to be strong and to keep going on or else she would come back and 'haunt the shit out of me'" Nel let out a strangled sound, something between a laugh and a sob, "I'm sorry I'm unloading this on you, it's just I can't talk to anyone else in camp. We all lost someone that day"

I nodded and scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her thin shoulders, "It's no problem at all, I understand completely"

"Yeah, Renji told me about his wife. It's sad that Kiane will have to grow up without a mother…" Nel mumbled, running her fingers under her eyes to clear the tears that had fallen, "This world is ridiculous"

Ichigo sighed and nodded, "And it's just gonna get even more ridiculous. I'm scared for that kid, how he's going to grow up…both him and Lilynette"

Nel pulled back and looked at the man next to her, her eyes still glossy, "None of us will let anything happen to any of those kids. I don't want them having a shit child hood cause of this…I…want them to grow up as normally as possible"

A grin spread across Ichigos face and he nodded, "With Nnoitra around, who knows how they'll turn out?"

They both broke into laughter at the thought of the tall lanky man just as Ulquiorra came walking silently down the path from camp, hands tucked in the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Dinner is ready"

XXXXXXXX

The meal was one of Renji's specialties, mash potatoes, gravy, and chicken, although the gravy was slightly altered due to lack of ingredients. Apparently Kaine and Lilynette had spent the afternoon creating a makeshift family table out of the ones they had stolen from the tents. So they all sat, the table rickety on the uneven earth, laughing at each other and devouring the wonderful meal. Renji took it upon himself to sit at the head of the table, Ichigo and Kaine on either side of him. Of course Grimmjow had positioned himself right next to Ichigo, ever the dutiful guard dog. Lilynette sat next to Kaine with Stark on her other side. Nel grinned childishly as she stole a bite of Starks potatoes from across the table as he snoozed, while Ulquiorra glared at her disapprovingly from her right. Nnoitra sat at the other head of the table, chowing down on the meal like it was his last.

"Psst, Ichigo" Lilynette stage whispered from across the table, "Can you steal me a chicken wing off Grimmjow's plate?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and looked down at Grimm's mountain of meat, the man so engrossed in it that he hadn't even hear the little girls lame attempt at whispering. Ichigo grinned at her and slipped a wing from the pile, tossing it onto her plate before Grimmjow had time to react.

"HEY!" Grimmjow barked around a mouth full of mashed potato, "That's mine!"

With a roll of his eyes Ichigo plopped his last chicken wing onto Grimmjow's plate, "You practically ate the whole meal by yourself idiot, but here, if you're going to complain you can have mine. I'm full anyway"

The blue haired man glared at him and snatched the wing, ripping the meat apart animalistically, "Thanks strawberry" He sneered, his characteristic grin stretched across his face.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and choose to ignore the nickname, turning his attention the rest of the table. Everyone was happy, or as happy as he had ever seen them all. The table had been a good idea, giving them all a sense of normalcy. Ichigo watched as Lilynette whispered conspiratorially with Kaine, who giggled in return. Seeing that boy smile the best thing Ichigo needed right now, especially with what he was about to do. He made eye contact with Renji, who was practically glowing with happiness. It was crazy how a good meal with good people could create such a great atmosphere and put everyone into a happy mood.

'You ready?' Renji mouthed to him, flicking his eyes over to the blue haired beast who was still devouring the grilled bird.  
>Ichigo nodded, letting out a sigh, "Should I get a fire going before it gets too cold?" He asked no one in particular.<p>

A chorus of head nods and shouts of agreement filled the table before Ichigo stood, "I'm just gonna go look for some kindling then"

"I'm coming with you" Grimmjow exclaimed right on cue, whipping his sauce covered hands off on his basket ball shorts.

They both walked into the woods, the lights from the lamps they had set up next to the table casting shadows into the forest. Ichigo pulled a small flashlight from his jacket pocket and flicked it on, basking the area in a bluish light.

"Don't go too far in, I don't have my gun with me" Grimmhow warned as he stalked right behind Ichigo.

He rolled his eyes in exasperation but began picking up wood around the area, "So I was talking to Nnoitra today…" Ichigo began, glancing up at Grimmjow who watched him warily.

"Yeah, and?"

**_"Aibou, ya gotta hint towards it first, don't just jump right in or hes gonna get the wrong idea" Shiro spoke up warningly_**

Ichigo frowned, suddenly unsure of himself, "I-uhm…well I was wondering if uh-" He blushed, realizing how stupid he looked right now.

Grimmjow cracked a grin, his teeth gleaming brightly in the low light of the forest. He crouched down next to Ichigo and reached a hand out to grasp the flashlight, "Whattre'ya trying to ask?"

"Well I got this stuff from Nnoitra and I wanted to share it with you cause ya know…you've helped me so much and stuff..." Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes away from Grimmjow's stifling gaze; it was as if the man had tramped him there.

"That so?" Grimmjow's head tilted as he contemplated Ichigo's words, "What kinda 'stuff'?"

"Everclear, Nnoitra said it was your favorite"

If it was even possible, Grimmjow grinned wider then Ichigo had ever seen. He leaned closer to the red head, his breath hot as it mingled with Ichigos own. Ichigo couldn't help himself; he leaned closer to the man in front of him.  
>"You tryin' to get me drunk strawberry?" His voice was gruff, deeper then Ichigo had heard before, adn with that slight southern accent...<em>god<em>. Ichigo nodded dumbly, still captivated by the close presence of the dominating man. Grimmjow's grin faded to a smirk as he ran a calloused finger across Ichigo's cheek, enjoying the shiver that followed his touch, "Alright, let's throw a party of our own tonight Ichigo"

XXXXXXX

Nnoirta had been right, Grimmjow was a tank. The man had already downed three shots of the 190 proof alcohol and Ichigo could see no change in his behavior.  
>"Come on strawberry ya gotta keep up if your gonna drink with me!" Grimmjow exclaimed, holding up another shot glass filled to the brim. Ichigo had already had one and he could feel the light headedness already sinking in. Unlike Grimmjow, Ichigo was an extreme light weight. It was one of the many reasons he didn't enjoy drinking.<br>But he was on a mission, so Ichigo took the shot glass gingerly and downed it. Grimmjow grinned, poured himself another and shot that back himself.  
>Outside the campsite was quiet, everyone having gone to bed hours ago. Grimmjow and Ichigo had volunteered to clean up dinner, so they had spent an hour cleaning up dishes as everyone laughed at the campfire. Nnoitra went to bed last, giving Ichigo a wink as he passed with his bowl of leftovers.<p>

"I have to pace myself or I'm gonna end up belligerent" Ichigo explained to Grimmjow after the mans six shot. He was starting to show he was drunk, his demeanor a lot more relaxed as he leaned back against the air mattress in their tent. Ichigo sat cross-legged in front of him while the giant bottle sat in front.

Grimmjow grinned at him lazily, "I'll take care of ya, no need to worry strawberry" He drawled, that southern accent coming out again as the alcohol set in, "I'll take care of yeah _gooood_"

**_"Maybe you should stay Aibou" Shiro giggled, "I want him to take care of _me_!"_**

Ichigo rolled his eyes at Shiro as Grimmjow shot back another. The man had chosen to remove his shirt as soon as they had entered the tent, claiming that it was too hot and he was already starting to sweat. So Ichigo was forced to sit here and watch this perfection of a man drink himself into a hot mess and he couldn't touch him at all.

**_"Maybe just one little touch?" Shiro pleaded, his presence brushing across Ichigo's mind and reminding him of their night together. _**Ichigo shivered, but shoved him back and ignored him. No touching allowed, cause if he touched that man he would not be leaving this camp tonight.

"Well yer talkative tonight" Grimmjow grumbled as he sat up from the bed and moved towards Ichigo, "If I knew you were gonna be in such a good mood I would have invited Ulquiorra" Grimmjow laughed at his joke, seeming to find it much more funny then it really was. His laugh was dazzling, even with the strong smell of Everclear leaking from his breath. Grimmjow took another shot, one that Ichigo did not notice him pouring and scouted closer to Ichigo, bringing the bottle with him.

"Can I ask ya a question?" Grimmjow murmured, his voice taking on a different tone, more serious sounding.

"What?" The red head murmured in reply, watching the other man warily as he drew even closer.

"The day we met, on the highway, you were…."

"Crazy?" Ichigo offered

Grimmjow chuckled and shrugged, "I was gonna say different, but sure. Care to explain?"

**_"Ill explain fer ya"_**

"I'm gonna need to be a lot more drunk for that conversation" Ichigo sighed, looking away from Grimmjows penetrating gaze and ignoring Shiro once again.

The drunk man let out a huff of annoyance, then instead of pouring himself a shot he just took a swig straight from the bottle. He handed the Everclear over to Ichigo, who looked at it with apprehension but took a confident swig anyway.  
>"Can I have a hint at least?" Grimmjow asked, still sitting as close as his body would allow to the other man. Ichigo eyed him, looking for an alternative motive. All Grimmjow looked was curious though, so he decided to enlighten him a little.<p>

"I don't really know what it…_he_ is. First time I noticed a change in myself was right after my mom died. I started getting in fights at school and I was too small and too weak to do anything about the bullies. One day, I don't know really when, I was suddenly able to do things. But it wasn't really me; it was someone else protecting me. I put two of those boys in the hospital, one with a coma. I was immediately put into psychiatric therapy but whatever was wrong with me couldn't be found so they gave up and deemed it post traumatic stress from my mothers death. I always knew that wasn't true, but I would have given anything to get out of the therapy sessions. Since then I haven't heard anything from him, not even during the fights when I was in high school….not until now" It was the shortened version by far, but that was all Grimmjow needed to know. Ichigo did not want to explain how badly he had needed that protector and how scared he was of it. How scared he still was of it

"So whatever it is is back now?" Grimmjow muttered after another mouthful of the strong liquor. Absentmindedly Ichigo wondered how the guy was still standing but he brushed it aside and nodded.

"Yeah, but its different now. I don't know how to explain this to you, but it's stronger than before. Probably because I need so much more help in this world"

The other man nodded, setting down his bottle in contemplation. Ichigo watched him warily, ready for him to burst into accusations, but he did no such thing. Grimmjow just sat and thought, staring at the bottle of alcohol as he swirled the liquid around. He set the Everclear down after a moment and raised his head, a predatory smirk spreading across his face.

"Ya got problems, I can deal with that. But I'm drunk as fuck right now and everything yer sayin' is kinda turnin' me on for some reason" Grimmjow exclaimed as he leaned closer to Ichigo's face, his southern drawl rumbling deep. Ichigo leaned away from him as he drew nearer, screaming at himself for allowing this situation. He god-damn knew he wasn't going to be able to resist the blue haired god if he got hands-y!

"Fuck Ichigo, ya better stop leanin' down like that or yer gonna give me the wrong idea" Grimmjow growled before pouncing on Ichigo, trapping his hands over his head and using his body to inhibit the movement of his legs. Ichigo cursed, jerking his body to get free of the man's grasp but it seemed to only get him more riled up, "Stop moving" Grimmjow muttered in a low voice, his face inches away from Ichigo's.

_**"Abiou…" Shiro murmured, his presence growing restless, "As hot as Big Blue is I don' like this"**_

Ichigo glare up at Grimmjow, gritting his teeth in anger, "If you don't let me the fuck go I'm going to beat your ass" He murmered lowly, only getting angrier as Grimmjow laughed at him.

"Your cute when yer angry strawberry" His blue hair was all messed up from the scramble, sticking out wildly and only adding to his sexyness, "It was a really bad idea gettin' me drunk tanight, ya cant trust Nnoitra, he should'a warned you"

Ichigo was just about to ask what that meant when Grimmjow kissed him, his surprisingly soft lips practically attacking Ichigo's mouth. He hated to admit it, but the way Grimmjow was dominating him was hot as hell and he seriously felt like giving in. Grimmjow released his hands, allowing Ichigo to delve into that beautiful blue hair as Grimmjow's own callused ones worked their way up Ichigos shirt. Grimmjow ripped the clothing over the red head, quickly reattaching himself to his mouth as he grinded against the moaning body below him.

_**"Abiou…" Shiro muttered.**_

Ichigo ignored his other half, sinking himself into Grimmjows presence as the other man lifted Ichigo up and tossed him on the air mattress before pouncing on him again and continuing to drive Ichigo even more crazy.

_**"Ichigo if ya don't listen ta me im gonna take over"**_

Why in the world would Ichigo listen to him at this moment? Ichigo almost let out a laugh at the thought as Grimmjow started unbuckling his belt, releasing Ichigo's lips so he could trail hungry kisses down to his neck.

_**"Ya asked fer it"**_

Ichigo hissed in a breath of surprise as he suddenly was yanked from his body, something that Shiro had never done to him before. The change had always been a gradual thing worked up over anger, never sudden and so violating. Shiro rolled him and Grimmjow over, a look of surprise growing across Grimmjow's face at the sudden switch in demeanor. Shiro grinned down at the perfectly sculpted man, his smile stretching much farther than Ichigo's ever did.

**"Pleased ta meet ya Grimmy"** Shiro said, his warped voice once again sounding alien from Ichigo's lips, **"I mean, we've met before, but not on such great terms"** He let out a hyeana like laugh, his shoulder shaking as he drew in breath.

Grimmjow glared up at him and attempted to flip them, but Shiro slammed his shoulders down, **"Now listen here Big Blue. As cute as ya are, I don't like Ichigo not gettin' his way. So yer gonna take a little nap now and everything will be cleared up in the morning"**

His blue eyes widened in surprise and then shock as Shiro grinned, then slammed his fist into the side of Grimmjows head, effectively causing him to pass out.

**"Yer welcome King"**

* * *

><p>Holy cow, I suck. I mean really, I truely love writing this story and have a blast everytime, but I just <em>forget<em>. I could use the whole school thing, but honestly its summer right now and I have to excuse.  
>So here you all go, hopefully this chapter makes up for my suckyness. I apoligize in advance for the lack of zombies in the last two chapters, I hate the lack of killing as well. But I needed this relationship building for later. Do not worry, there is much killing to come.<br>If any of you can guess the name of Nel's sister you will be the most amazing person ever :) I did not make it odvious for a reason, but it would still be cool if you could figure it out! Shes blonde and big boobed like Nel, thats really all you need to know haha.

Anyways, review review, Its allways appreciated :)


	8. Chapter 7

Prepare yourself, I had a lot of fun with this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter Seven,<em> **Rule 17: Don't Be a Hero****

The whole camp sat in fear around the campfire, watching the blue haired monstrosity seethe as he passed back and forth in front of them. Renji sat furthest away, keeping his head low to avoid the withering blue gaze.

"**THAT FUCKER!**" Grimmjow roared for the umpteenth time, scrapping his hands through his deranged locks. Kaine flinched next to Renji and Lilynette let out a chuckle, but otherwise the rest of the adults simple rolled their eyes.

Everyone had been awake when Grimmjow had come storming out of his tent, practically ripping the zipper off the door as he scrambled out. His eyes had been wide with anger and as soon as he caught sight of his missing truck, he'd turned into a tyrant. His first thought had been to rip Ichigo apart, but seeing as he was missing, he had opted to kill the other red head instead. It had taken both Nnoitra and Stark to pull Grimmjow off of Renji.

It took another ten minute for Grimmjow to finally plop down in a camp chair and glare into the dead fire, his eyes smoldering. Everyone shifted uneasily, not sure how to handle an angry Grimmjow. Renji sank further in his chair, shifting Kaine on his lap nervously. He knew Ichigo's plan had been a bad one, but he knew that orange haired idiot like the back of his hand and there was no way he was going to be able to talk him out of it. But he hadn't expected to complete madness of Grimmjow after. A little angry yes, Ichigo had stolen his truck. But Grimmjow was acting like Ichigo had committed a crime worthy of death or something.

"Stark" Grimmjow suddenly barked, breaking the silence, "Gimme yer keys"

Stark yawned and shook his head, his steely gaze sharp even with his sleepy expression, "No" He simple muttered, causing Grimmjow's eyes to widen.

"Why the fuck not!"

"Ichigo's gotta do this, yer just gonna have to sit by and watch" Renji was surprised at Stark's acceptance of this; he seemed the kind of man that would stop anyone from making a rash decision. Renji watched has Grimmjow's face contorted into pure anger, then hate, and then he simple deflated. The blue haired mans shoulders sagged and his head dropped into his hands, a sigh of defeat escaping him.

"If ya don't gimme your keys Stark, I'm gonna have to walk" Grimmjow muttered from his same position. His voice was low and restrained, dark. A shiver of fear crept up Renji's back.

Stark shook his head, watching Grimmjow with a look of curiosity, "I'll give you my keys if you tell me why you care so much"

Grimmjow's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at Stark, anger and betrayal written all over his face, "Shove it up your ass Coyote, I just want my car back"

Just by his reaction any one could tell that he was lying, even Lilynette, who sat next to her brother giggling. Stark rolled his eyes at Grimmjows outburst and shifted to pull his bike keys out of his back pocket, "Just tell me why and it's yours. Then you can go save that idiot again"

Stark was actually smirking as he dangled the keys in front of Grimmjow. Like dangling a cat in front of a mouse. Renji half expected Grimmjow to take a swing at the man, but instead he stood up so abruptly that his chair fell backwards. "I'm just gonna get the kid and bring him back so I can give him a proper ass beating for stealin' my car….and gettin' me drunk and leavin' and...stuff" He muttered the last part, his eyes darting to Nnoitra with a look of hatred. Stark raised his eyebrows and tossed Grimmjow the keys, settling back into his usual reclined position.

"Don't tell him I let you have those" Stark muttered before closing his eyes and seemingly falling asleep right there. Grimmjow stood still for a moment, clutching the motorcycle keys before he stormed over to his tent.

"_Daddy_" Kaine whispered, pulling Renji's sweatshirt to get his attention.

"Yeah buddy?"

"Did Ichigo leave to get Yuzo, Karin, and Goat-face?"

"Yeah he did, but he might need a little help with that. So Grimmjow's gonna go too" Renji answered, watching as Grimmjow emerged with a back pack and a couple guns slung over his shoulder. He was wearing a black cargo jacket, the pockets looking like they were crammed with bullets. His normal dark washed jeans were now accompanied by a gun holster and some black cargo boots. The two guns slung over his shoulders were rifles, and Renji could see a semi-automatic poking out of the top of his dark green army backpack.

Grimmjow trudged to the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with the group gathered around the empty fire. He stuffed a couple packs of jerky, canned beans, and water into his back pack before grabbing a small first aid kit as an afterthought. He paused for a moment as he pulled the backpack over his shoulders and looked over at the group.

"Red, where's Ichigo's families house?" Grimmjow demanded his eyes harsh as he glared at the red head.

"Uh, down the street from Urahara's Gym on 15th, the house is attached to the Korusaki Clinic"

"Alright I'll figure it out. Any of you do something stupid, **like get killed**_, _while I'm gone and Ill rip ya a new one" There was a touch of tenderness in his gruff voice that made Renji think Grimmjow might care a little bit about them after all. The large man trudged over to the sleek black motorcycle and pulled the black helmet hanging from the handlebars over his head. He looked back at the camp one last time before starting up the loud engine, kicking back the kick stand, and roaring out of camp.

"Do you think they'll bring everyone back?" Kaine asked as he watched Grimmjow disappear down the dirt road.

Renji pulled his son in for a hug and nodded against his back, "They'll get everyone back safe, don't worry"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Grimmjow's truck was _nice_. Ichigo couldn't get over the prettiness the seemingly gruff man and kept his car. All the ammo and guns were perfectly positioned and clean, all ready for use if needed. The truck itself was spotless, not a grime of dirt of dust of the dashboard, dark tinted windows, or the black glossy exterior.

After Shiro had knocked Grimmjow out and gotten Ichigo out to the car, they had found a bag full of imperishable food on the passenger seat. Renji of course, making sure Ichigo had enough food for himself and his family. Putting in the stolen keys, Ichigo had cringed at the loudness of the truck. But the camp stayed as peaceful as before, so he just jumped into the cab as fast as he could and left.

Now he was right outside the city, a map of the area unfolded across the dashboard as he tried to figure out where the hell he was. The camp had been farther away than he had expected and he had thought most of the drive that he was going the wrong way. But when the skyscrapers of Karakura came into view he let out a sigh of relief and pulled over to figure out a game plan.

There was no way in hell he was going through the city again, he had learned his lesson. Even with Grimmjow's truck it didn't seem possible to make it out alive and this time he couldn't rely on backup. If he took the exit just up ahead he could travel around the city, but that would take up the better part of his day and leave him to battle out saving his family at night. The only other course possible would be to skirt the outside streets of the city and try to stay away from the herds.

Both ways seemed dangerous and unsafe, making Ichigo wish he had Renji to ask advice of. His best friend would know which way he should go and the safest pass in, maybe even give him another alternative. But, Renji couldn't have come with him, not without endangering Kaine's only remaining parent.

Ichigo folded up the map slowly, staring out the front window at the city before him. The day was actually beautiful, sunshine pouring into the car and heating it to a comfortable 78 degrees. Today would have been a perfect day for him and Grimmjow to head out to the lake again and try to catch something, although Ichigo felt like that wasn't ever going to happen again. Grimmjow had a huge ego and an even bigger pride. Knocking him out after getting him drunk and turned on and then stealing the man's car was not a good plan, but Ichigo needed to do this. He just hoped that Grimmjow understood when he got back.

The car rumbled to life once more, rolling forward as Ichigo came to a decision. There was no way he could waste an entire day and risk travelling with his family at night, he wouldn't put them through that. Out here a couple hours could mean life or death, so he would take the faster road. He knew it was way more unsafe and that he would probably end up regretting this, but he would rather die trying then get there too late.

The roads he chose were actually quiet safe, only a couple walkers that barely kept up with the massive truck. One actually came out in front of the car and Ichigo had flinched at the sound of bones being crunched under the giant wheels. So far, it seemed like this was going to be a piece of cake. He almost wished Grimmjow were here so he could shove his triumph in that perfect face of his. Ichigo cracked a grin, pleased with himself and finally feeling like he was getting somewhere. This mission to save his family might not just be a sad suicide attempt like he had been beginning to feel like!

Of course, he was only 15 minutes into his crawl around the outside of the city so he didn't want to get ahead of himself.

Ichigo screeched the car to a stop suddenly, hearing loud gunshots to his right. He could have sworn he hear a rifle shoot off…

A group of five men, all dressed in matching black cargo and covered in blood, came tearing across the street. They were heavily armed, but that didn't stop them from running as fast as they could to the chain link fence to Ichigo's right. Ichigo watched them for a moment before looking back to where they had come, his eyes widening in fear.

A herd of walkers, only a little smaller than the one that had almost killed him last time he was in the city, was running down the street in pursuit of the men. Ichigo gulped and looked back to the five men who were scrambling over the fence into safety and it finally dawned on him the horrible position he was now in.

Ichigo slammed ont he gas, the roar of the engine startling the men to his left. The must not have noticed him as they ran across the street. Ichigo gunned the gas and tore ahead, slamming into the walkers at the head of the herd. He looked back into the rear view mirror to see most of the walkers turning to follow him now, leaving the five men standing safe on the other side of the fence. Well at least he had saved them…only now he was screwed.

The next right that he came to Ichigo slammed the breaks and turned his wheel, peeling out around the corner. This street lead outside the city, but he hadn't mapped it out yet and had no clue where it lead. The herd was far behind him now, but he wasn't taking any chances. Five minutes later he slowed the car to a crawl and looked behind him, letting out a sigh of relief as he saw the herd continue down the road he had been on before. He watched them for a moment, mesmerized by their ability to get anywhere with such jerky and uncoordinated steps.

Abruptly Ichigo was jerked forward, the front of the car shifting from some sort of pressure. Ichigo turned to find a small herd circling the truck, the mouths agape and transfixed on his shadowy form in the window. Letting out a string of curses, Ichigo prepared to back up when rifle shots rang out once again. The five men from earlier came out of the alley of the building to his right, shooting down the herd swiftly.

Ichigo waited until the final walkers brains were blown across the street before he opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement.

"I guess were even now" He called over to the men who were now assembled in front of the truck. They looked at him for a moment before a tall man with a blonde bob came forward, his Cheshire grin wide in greeting.

"Guess we got you to thank for that back there. Names Shinji Hirako" He stuck out his gloved hand, which Ichigo shook tentatively, "No need to be scared, we're all on the same side here"

Ichigo nodded and gave the man a small smile, "Yeah, thanks for that. The trucks a loan, I'd be in deep shit if anything happened to it"

"It's a beautiful, we were admiring it. Would be helpful getting through the city", Shinji looked at the truck longingly, then quickly turned back to Ichigo, "Well! As long as you're here would you like to give us a ride back to base camp?"

Ichigo was about to shake his head no, until he glanced back at the four other men. They all looked tired as hell and in need of a major shower, their clothes were torn and bloody and one of them was limping, "How far are you guys staying?"

"Not too far, its just in a pretty nasty side of town right now so your truck would come in handy. We can get you some more weapons or ammo if you'd like, we have plenty"

Ichigo shook his head, opening up the passenger door, "I've got plenty, but some water would be nice"

"You got it" Shinji said with a wink, then nodded to the wounded men. They all spilled into the car, stuffing Grimmjow's guns in the open truck bed to make room for everyone. Ichigo was expecting Shinji to get into the passenger seat with him, but instead the limping man rounded the car and got up front with him. The man had short black hair with three scars running down from his left eye. A light blue tattoo band ran from his right cheek over the bridge of his nose with 69 tattooed right under it. As Ichigo analyzed his strange, yet attractive appearance the man's dark grey eyes landed on his.

"Are you going to go?" He asked in an annoyed tone, making Ichigo jump and blush slightly. A giggle from the backseat made him blush even deeper as he turned the truck on and started down the road.

After a moment of awkward silence, Ichigo glanced in the rearview mirror at the stuffed backseat, "So where am I going?" He asked.

"I'll tell you when to turn, don't worry" The man sitting next to him spoke, finalizing Ichigo's question and sending the car back into silence.

"I can't believe we lost Ukitake and Yumichika..." A sullen tone spoke from the back. Ichigo glanced in the mirror to see it was a completely bald man who spoke. Ichigo also noticed that this man was almost completely soaked in blood, the red causing his black uniform to become even darker, "I don't want to be the one to tell Shunsui we lost his best friend"

There was a murmur of agreement from the five men before Shinji cough and looked at Ichigo through the mirror, "We got into a pretty nasty situation while trying to gather supplies today, it usually is a fairly easy trip but we were outnumbered greatly"

Ichigo nodded, knowing exactly how that felt, "That happened to me a couple of days ago, luckily someone saved us right in time"

"Turn left here" The black haired man spoke suddenly, causing Ichigo to turn the wheel abruptly, gosling his passengers. The car once again fell silent, although not as awkward as everyone thought about who they had lost. Ichigo suddenly wished he hadn't agreed to take them, knowing that this would put him off course even more then he was. But he wouldn't have felt right leaving these wounded men alone, knowing they would have died if a herd found them.

"Im sorry Ichigo, I forgot to introduce you to everyone" Shinji spoke up suddenly.

Ichigo smiled at him and shook his head, "Its fine, you have other things on your mind"

"Well the brute next to you is Shuhei, and the silver haired one over there is Gin" Gin waved at Ichigo and gave him a fox like grin, his eyes remaining in thin slits. Ichigo frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the man, but gave him a small smile in return. "The bald guy is Ikkaku-"

"Hey! I'm _NOT_ bald!" Ikkaku grumbled, glaring at Shinji.

"Whatever gets you threw the day. And this silent man right here is Kensie" Kensie locked eyes with Ichigo and nodded his head, which Ichigo returned. The man was attractive, with his muscular shoulders showing through the black cargo jacket. He had dark grey hair cut almost military short and deep brown eyes.

"So are you travelling alone?" Shinji asked, pulling Ichigo's attention towards him.

"For now, there's a group of seven camping out a ways from the city that I've been with. I'm trying to get over to the south-east part of the city to get my family"

The car fell silent and Ichigo watched as Shuhei and Shinji made eye contact through the mirror. He frowned, anxiety building up inside.

"The south-east? Over near Urahara's Gym?" Shinji asked slowly, his tone sending Ichigo into panic mode.

"Yes, is everything alright over there?" He gripped the steering wheel hard as he sped up the car a little, fear for his family flooding through him.

_**Keep it togetha' King, ya don't know if anythin's wrong yet.**_

"That place was practically a war zone the first few days of the outbreak. The street was outnumbered soon after and evacuated, though a couple stayed. We went there not too long ago to see if there were any supplies that we could retrieve and I have to tell you….there's no one _living_ there anymore"

Ichigo swallowed hard, holding back the bile that was gurgling in his stomach. He felt sick, nauseous…**crazy**. There was no way his family was dead, no way in hell. He would go there no matter what this man said to him.

"And the place isn't safe either. I would advise you to not go to the south-east" Shuhei added as well.

Ichigo glanced at the two men, his eyes wild. He knew they were only trying to help, but really there voices were causing Ichigo to feel like he wanted to rip their faces off. Theres was no way his family was dead and they needed to shut the fuck up about it. He would save them no matter what.

"I don't even know if this truck would be able to make it-"

"_**Just shut the fuck up!**_" Ichigo screamed out, his voice shaking with a hint of Shiro's wildness, "I don't need you fuckers telling me what the fuck I can do, so just _shut up_"

**_I hyst gotta tell ya, yer fuckin' hot right now Aibou._**

All five of the men were staring at Ichigo like he was bat shit crazy, which he was. He avoided the rear view mirror, keeping his focus forward as he drove down the street. The car was back to its awkward silence, the only sound coming from Shuhei's random one worded directions.

"We're here" Shuhei spoke as the car neared a large, seven story brick building. He led Ichigo down a side street big enough for the truck and they came upon an unloading zome for semis. The place must be a storage warehouse of some kind, though for what Ichigo did not know. He pulled around to a double door that Shuhei directed him too, the front padlocked and bolted against entry. As the group piled out of the car, Ichigo sat in the driver's seat and stared at the steering wheel.

He was embarrassed as hell at his outburst and he also knew he couldn't stay any longer. The drive had been further then he had expected and he didn't want to wait any longer.

"You coming in?" Shinji asked as he peered at him from Ichigo's window.

Ichigo shook his head, giving Shinji a weak smile, "I think I have to go, I don't want it to get any more dark"

Shinji stared at him, his light brown eyes analyzing Ichigo critically, "Alright, but remember where we are and stop by on your way out of the city. I'd like to know if your alright and if you find your family"

The red head nodded and gave Shinji a small wave, "Will do, thanks"

"No, thank you for the ride. Good luck"

Ichigo nodded and pulled out of the loading zone, waving at the men by the door as they worked on opening the padlock. Ichigo sped down the street, going faster than he did before. He was scared all right, more scared then he had been in his whole life. What Shinji and Shuhei had said… he knew they were right. He should not be going into a hot zone alone and with the little experience he had he was sure to die. But he couldn't stand by knowing that his family could be safe, and if they weren't…

_**Don't think 'bout it Aibou**_

_Yeah, I know. Just…don't let me do anything stupid?_

_**If ya do anythin' stupid, just blame it on me**_

Ichigo rolled his eyes and sighed, ignoring Shiro's laughter as he sped down the street. The walkers were getting more dense as he got closer to south-east side of the city, there bodies now noticeably strewn across the road. There was no herds yet, thankfully, but Ichigo started driving a lot more carefully, picking through the streets. He was only a few miles away from the street his family's home was on, only a few miles from the truth.

Ichigo rounded a corner, only to swear angrily as two tanks that had crashed together blocked his way. He backed up slowly, careful not to hit anything and continued down the road he had come on. Tanks were starting to appear in abundance, as well as army jeeps and a few crashed helicopters. It was obvious that what Shinji had said was true, this area had been through a war.

Ichigo slowed as he passed Urahara's Gym, the largest building in the area that Ichigo used to frequent back in his teenage days. Unlike most large business, Urahara had not made it into a chain, leaving this sole enterprise to grow and become the most amazing gym in Karakura. Ichigo had lived here all of his adolescent life and had yet to explore the whole building. The owner, Urahara Kisuke, had actually been very good friends with his father, even hiring him on occasion to work as a physical therapist at the gym. Now though, the building looked decrepit. The front doors were completely blown in, all the windows smashed apart. Ichigo could barely see inside, but it looked like bodies lay everywhere in the front entry way. He quickly sped up the truck, not wanting to see what else could be in there.

As the sign for the Korusaki Clinic came into view, Ichigo's anxiety grew. He could not yet see the house, so he didn't know how it looked. The street in front looked fairly clear, only two cars parked haphazardly in the middle of the road. The car rolled to a stop outside of the two story seemingly unmarked house. Surprisingly, it didn't look too bad. His dads car was gone, but the front door was still shut and none of the windows were damaged.

Slowly, Ichigo unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. He walked around to the truck bed to grab one of the rifles, slinging it over its shoulder as he tucked some extra bullet cases in his back pocket. Seeing no movement from the house or the street, Ichigo moved forward. He walked up the front steps, feeling the slight effects of déjà vu wash over him. Through the windows near the door, the house looked empty. The lights were off; although that was no surprise seeing as the electricity went out a while ago. Ichigo opened the door slowly, cringing at the eerie creaking noise.

He stepped inside, keeping his movements light. The kitchen was to his immediate right, but as soon as he went inside he could see it was empty. The cabinets had been left open and were now bare; a couple of the drawers pulled out and cleaned of their insides.

Ichigo continued from there, glancing up the staircase on the other side of the hall from the kitchen. It looked dark and daunting, terrifying. It was up there that his sisters, dads, and his rooms were, where they all slept and bathed and _lived_. The fact that it was now terrifying him to think to go up there made it even worse.

Ichigo walked forward, choosing to investigate upstairs afterwards. The living room was a mess, the TV turned over and DvD's thrown everywhere. The couches were still the same, although it looked like one of them had been ripped apart on one of the cushions. On the other side of the room the dining table had been flipped on its side, creating a sort of barrier. The sliding glass door next to it had been shattered, a slight breeze ruffling the curtains on either side.

A wash of fear swept over Ichigo, forcing him to stagger back into the wall for support. It looked like Renji's house, it looked like _something_ had been here. He turned back to the staircase, staring at the darkness up above.

"Yuzo? Karin?" He called up, ignoring the instinct to stay silent, "**DAD?**"

Nothing, _no reply_.

Ichigo screamed up the stairs once more, then sprinted up them and barged into each of the rooms. Empty, all of them, the beds left as if they had just woken up this morning. Ichigo stared at his sisters room, backing up slowly.

Ichigo slipped down the wall, falling to the ground as it felt like the world around him shattered. His family, his sisters…he was alone now. He felt like someone had just carved something out of his chest, the feeling penetrating him so deep that he felt like throwing up. He could hear Shiro yelling at him from inside, trying to take control or pull him into his minds world, but he wouldn't allow it. He was strong enough to make this decision on his own.

He looked down at the rifle next to him, the gun suddenly calling to him. He watched his hand reach for it, his mind numb. He couldn't do this any longer, the waiting. The waiting to die or become one of them. It left him…like a zombie. Without ever being bitten or turned, his whole body felt numb and useless, starved for the one thing he wanted most. While the zombies craved life and sought after it, Ichigo only wanted his family.

"Maybe were all zombies" He murmured to himself, cocking the rifle and setting the cold barrel to his temple. Shiro was screaming now, his screams echoing through his body and causing Ichigo's eyes to whell with tears. Ichigo knew his Other wanted to help him, that was _his_ purpose for living. But Ichigo's purpose was for his family and without them; he just didn't see the point any longer. He was ready to opt out, he knew Renji would understand. They would all understand eventually.

Ichigo took one last look up the staircase, closed his eyes, and-

**BANG**

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><p>I...don't know what to say. Don't forget what I said in the first chapter, not every character will be saved. Having said that, this might be my favorite chapter so far. I had a lot of fun writing it and I actually got pretty sad when I had to write Ichigo's 'fall'. Hes sad, I like him, oh well...<p>

Oh, and I hate whinning about this but I just want to say it. I love getting reviews, its exciting to open up my phone's email and see a notification for that. But when I scroll down and its just a 'update soon!' or something...Im a little let down. I like to hear what you guys like/dislike or maybe something you would like to see happen. It would make my day if someone actually cared even to recomend something to me :)

Anyways, hope you enojoyed!


	9. Chapter 8

I am ALIVE!  
>Now commence the killing of zombies!<p>

Disclaimer: I do not own anything

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><p><strong><em>Previously…<em>**

**_Chapter Seven,_**** Rule 17: Don't Be a Hero**

"Maybe were all zombies" He murmured to himself, cocking the rifle and setting the cold barrel directly under his chin. Shiro was screaming now, his screams echoing through his body and causing Ichigo's eyes to whell with tears. Ichigo knew his Other wanted to help him, that was _his_ purpose for living. But Ichigo's purpose was for his family and without them; he just didn't see the point any longer. He was ready to opt out, he knew Renji would understand. They would all understand eventually. Ichigo took one last look up the staircase, closed his eyes, and-

**BANG**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter Eight,<em>**** Rule 20: Never Give Up**

The jingle of keys sounded through the small condo as the door slammed, the large blue haired man tossing his bag near the door while walking towards the kitchen. The condo was well let and steril looking, contemporary designs of black and white that looked straight out of an Ikea catalogue.

Grimmjow dumped his keys on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge, staring into the mostly empty shelves for a moment before shaking his head and grabbing a beer. He continued his silent trek through his home to the black leather couch, wrestling his pure white vintage Nike's off before depositing himself on the sofa.

A deep, drawn out sigh escaped his lips while he popped the cap off and took a swig of the dark liquid, his icy blue eyes fixated on the floor to ceiling window ahead of him.

He wasn't tired. Just…. bored. Spending a day selling and dealing with his shitty ass boss left Grimmjow full of so much pent up energy he couldn't even imagine being tired. He could go look for some low-life's to beat the shit out of, let his knuckles bleed a little, but for once in the mans life he wanted something else. Something a little fucking different maybe.

Another sigh, this one short and angry, broke through the silence as the somber man grappled for the remote and flicked on his massive flat-screen.

The news was on, god knows why (he didn't ever make an attempt to stay up-to-date on anything) and Grimmjow was about to turn to the next channel when the bottom of the screens headlines caught his eye.

'Disaster in Karakura, Disease Outbreak Spreads To The Streets'

Grimmjow knew about the TS-9 disease that had come into the media a few months back, he knew about the craze the 'zombie virus' had caused. But he had just chalked it up to another 'swine flu' and figured it would be eradicated and deemed another pop-culture-frenzy.

The scene that played out on the screen was that of pure terror, hundreds of humans shoving and throwing each other to the ground as the scrambled for the street, most of them being trampled by each other in an attempt to escape. On either side was a barrier of riot cops, holding the patients and doctors captive on the road in front of the hospital.

The screen flicked from the shots of the riot on the streets of Karakura to a women with perfectly curled blonde hair and a face that appeared to have had too many plastic surgeries, "As you can see, police have been having a hard time controlling the streets as chaos has broken out. Just a few hours ago we lost contact with the doctors inside the hospital, only to see this spill out of the doors ten minutes ago. It is unclear exactly what the riot was caused by, but the coast guard has been called in to aide the police already on scene. We will keep you up-dated on this crisis as more information comes in. And now to Dave with the weath-"

Grimmjow snapped the channel to boxing, the screen suddenly filled with two sweaty men beating the shit out of each other in a rink while fans screamed in the background. His favorite channel did nothing to relieve the frown etched across his face. He lived in Karakura, not anywhere near the hospital, but still close enough for the news to bother him slightly.

Finishing his beer, he slammed the bottle down on his glass coffee table and stood abruptly, leaving the tv on as he left for his bedroom down the hall. Grimmjow shrugged off the dark leather jacket he wore, leaving the grey t-shirt and dark wash jeans on. He fell to his knees next to his bed, crouching down to pull a shoebox from underneath. Nestled safely inside was the gun that was given to him by his uncle, the man that taught him to pull a trigger, load, and kill if needed. Grimmjow loved the guy and could never thank him enough for what he was taught.

He snapped a new fully loaded clip in and checked the safety. Grimmjow raised the gun and pointed to the full-length mirror on the other side of his bed, aiming the weapon for his forehead before lowering it. He didn't usually carry, his fists were enough when dealing with the druggies he dealt with daily, but something about that news report left him shaken. Grimmjow shoved the shoebox under his bed once more and hurried back to the living room, setting the gun down carefully before flicking back to the news report.

The shot on the screen was once again on the riot, this time taken from a roof top looking over the street. The scene below had changed drastically in the fifteen minutes he had not been watching. The police were shoving the crowd back with there riot shields as the civilians yelled, their screams much more desperate then before. The camera swiveled jerkily to the left, showing coast guard vehicles turning down the street. But just as they did, a gunshot rang out. The screams were piercing now, frantic and terrifying. The camera flung town to the street below as more patients poured from inside the hospital, these ones much different then the ones trying to escape.

Grimmjow watched as the new patients dragged themselves out of the broken glass doors, their bodies moving unnaturally as they hurried towards the scrambling crowd. By then the riot police were open firing at the patients, the terrified ones and the new ones. The coast guard had just stopped their vehicles and was hurrying towards the scene, but Grimmjows attention remained on the abnormal patients.

Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open and he covered his mouth to stop the feeling of nausea that wanted to projectile across his pristine white carpet. The first of the new patients had reached the crowd and he watched as they began to rip the other humans apart. The cameraman zoomed in, a gasp of horror heard over the microphone from the reporter. They were watching a man literally eat another alive. The insane man wretched back after he sunk his teeth into his prey, gore and blood dripping from his dull teeth. Then, as if decided his neck meal was not enough, the man grasped the body below him and the arm from its socket-

The screen went fuzzy, then a long tone echoed throughout the condo as the news team hurried to adjust to the gruesome images.

Grimmjow stared unseeingly at the TV, his jaw slack as his mind tried to catch up to what he had just witnessed. He ground his fists into his knees, adrenaline coursing through him as his instincts for survival kicked in. Grimmjow just about stood to react when the blue screen changed suddenly, once again showing the woman news reporter from earlier.

The woman was disheveled, her red eyes and tear stained cheeks revealing her state of distress. Her hair was disheveled as if she had been running her hands through it and her hands quivered as the gripped her papers.

"I-is it on? Yes?" She attempted to make herself look more put together, but failed miserably, "We have just received reports that downtown Karakura is onder quarantine. All residents need to remain in their homes, locked, until further notice. May god be with the patients and doctors of the hospital. Please stay tune for more information" The news changed to some commercial about cholesterol, and Grimmjow hit the power button instantly.

He grabbed his gun and checked the clip once more, then set it back down and ran his hands up and down his jeans to stop them from shaking. Grimmjow stood and practically ran to the window, looking down at the street 12 stories below.

It was clear, except for a few teenagers pedaling by on low BMX bikes. It was as if nothing he had just witnessed on TV had actually happened. The sun was setting, filling the sky was oranges and reds and yellows and it looked so fucking beautiful. The colors melded together, releasing a sort of faded rainbow effect that coursed around the sky as far as Grimmjow's window allowed him to see. It looked unreal, like a painting had wrapped itself around his building. It took Grimmjow a moment to realize he was crying, the most ridiculous action he could take at this moment. But he was fucking alone, and terrified, and no one was going to fucking care. So Grimmjow let himself cry and stared at the god-damn sunset, the gruesome sight of limbs being ripped off and flesh being torn apart flying through his mind as the red sky slowly faded below the horizon. Un-fucking believable.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**BANG**

**BANG**

**BANG**

**BANG**

"God fucking damnit" Ichigo hissed, the tears streaming down his grime covered face as he squeezed his eyes shut against the obtrusive banging. He kept the gun rested under his chin, but turned his head to look down the hallway that he had just ransack moments earlier.

Ichigo had checked every room, though it had been more of a momentary opening and closing of doors. He knew his family would have answered him if they had been there, but the banging was cutting into his moment of death.

_** King, just put the fucking gun down and go see what the fuck it is.**_

A stream of swearing cut through the repetitive banging as the orange head stood and made his way down the hall, his rifle hanging in his hand loosely. He had been moments away from death, seconds from freeing himself from this horrible world and then this shit.

But he couldn't finish it with the damn banging.

It was coming from the bathroom. Ichigo stood directly in front of the door, watching as it shook with each thud against the wood. He jumped slightly at each hit, each bang seeming to increase in weight as Ichigo stood in front of it. It had to be a zombie trapped inside and every nerve in Ichigo's body told him to leave it.

It was his house. He knew the chances of it being one of his family nearly a hundred percent.

_**Don't open it.**_

Shiro's order echoed his own thoughts and for once they agreed. But Ichigo had stopped his death for this and either way, he would end up with the rifle pointed at his head once more.

Timed slowed as he reached for the knob, holding the cool metal in his palm for a moment and feeling the vibrations the banging caused. Then, he turned ir. The click of the knob cut the banging short and suddenly the hallway was doused in empty silence. Ichigo's pupils dilated, his breathing sped up, and his pulse seemed to throb within his ears.

In a single movement he swung the door open, raised his gun, and shot.

An exhale of pure relief escaped him as he realized the body was not his fathers or either of his sisters. Ichigo stepped forward into the bathroom, gazing down at the long haired moldy looking zombie on the floor. Its brown mop on locks had fallen over his face, covering most of the swelling and bruising. But even with the ripped apart body and bloody scabs Ichigo recognized the poor man.

It was Keigo Asano, a friend of his and Renji's from high school that lived next door to him. Keigo was the irritating guy that they all hated, but for some strange reason put it up with all four years of school. After graduation, Ichigo lost contact with him when he left for med school. To his knowledge, Keigo still lived with his family next door and worked at some minimum wage job in the city.

Ichigo stumbled out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall across the hall, staring down at the fallen body of the man he used to know. He looked down at his gun, deep brown eyes running along the sawed off barrel while his mind reeled.

He had been so glad that it had not been his family. Not just that, he had been relieved it was someone else. Guilt washed over him as he realized he was glad it was Keigo…joyous even. He could kill that annoying pestering fool from his teenage years, but his family members…they _had_ to be alive.

Knowing his father, he would have worked tirelessly to save the girls. He also would have saved anyone else that needed the help, Keigo included. The annoying dead-beat must have gotten himself bitten and Ichigo's father locked him in the bathroom, then cleared the house with the girls. They could still be alive, somewhere in the city or safe outside the borders.

Ichigo inhaled deeply, a new vigor awakening within him as he realized how foolish he had been. Moments earlier, he had been ready to take his own life without even thinking through the situation. He would not be so hasty again…if his sisters were alive, he would not leave them in this world without him. Ichigo pushed himself from the wall and trudged down the staircase, casting a glance into the disheveled living room before walking out the front door.

Ichigo froze, his jaw falling slack as he stared at the massive black truck in the driveway. Or rather, stared at the man sitting atop of the massive black truck.

Grimmjow slid from the hood, his arms crossed over his chest and accentuating his massive arm muscles. Ichigo took a moment to roam the mans body with his eyes as his mind caught up to the fact that yes, Grimmjow was here, and yes, the man was _pissed_.

If looks could kill, Ichigo was long dead by now. Grimmjows face was a mask of serious _I-will-rip-your-heart-out_ anger, as well as a hint of something else. Fear? Relief? Ichigo could do nothing but stand on the doorstep and stare, his mouth still open in surprise.

The blue haired man began to walk towards Ichigo, his stride fast and purposeful. Ichigo readied himself for the blow, expecting a full beat down for running away and stealing the truck, but nothing came. Rather, he wasn't punched. Instead, Grimmjow's dense body slammed against Ichigo's, the bigger mans arms wrapped around his shoulders in a vice like hug. Brown eyes widened in surprise, staring up at the cloud filled sky as he tried to react.

"Grimm?" Ichigo asked against the mans shoulder, his arms still hovering awkwardly in the space around the other man. Grimmjow didn't say a word, just continued to grip Ichigo against him like he was going to float away.

Ichigo was beginning to think Grimmjow had somehow read his mind and figured out what he had been about to do, but a second late, as if nothing had happened, he was released. Ichigo took a few stumbling steps backwards and frowned up at the man, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"What the fuck Grimmjow? What're you doing here?" He demanded, throwing an imaginary hammer at Shiro within his mind as the little pervert began to concoct thoughts about _why_ Grimmjow was here.

_**Aww, Grimmy was worried 'bout us King!**_

Once again, the muscular blue haired man crossed him arms, then gave Ichigo another withering glare, "Don't you question me, dumb ass. You're the one that needs to be answerin' questions. Why in the fuckin' world would ya come into the city after I specifically told ya it wasn't safe!"

"You now why!" Ichigo yelled back, not checking volume level as his anger got the best of him. His eyes burned as he met Grimmjow's, daring the other to continue to yell at him.

Instead answering back, Grimmjow turned his gaze past Ichigo to the house. He ran his eyes over the front door, up to the still-intact windows, assessing the house looked to be in good shape.

"Guessin' they aren't there" His gruff voiced filled the silence and Ichigo instantly cast his gaze downward, shaking his head as a response.

"Well come on then"

"What?" Ichigo asked, whipping his head upwards and frowning at the other man.

Grimmjow stared back, then, slowly, a shark like grin spread across his rugged face. A barking laughter escaped him, almost forcing the large man to double over as he exploded in a fit. Ichigo just stood there, getting more and more pissed off as the man continued his laughter.

"Shut the hell up!" He yelled at him, but Grimmjow just continued his moment of crazed hysterics.

"Yer such a fuckin' idiot Ichigo" He managed to stream out between bursts of chuckles, the mirth on the bigger man face unending.

_**You want me to punch his brain out fer' you Aibou?**_

Ichigo almost agreed to Shiro's request, just to get this lumbering dumbass to shut the hell up. But instead, he crossed his arms and stared at Grimmjow until he finally sobered up and stopped laughing.

"You better give me a good explanation for this or I'm going to kick your ass" Ichigo growled out, stepping towards the other in a menacing manor. Of course, Grimmjow stood his ground and continued to grin widely. He hicked out a few more chuckles before shaking his head and answering the orange haired doctor.

"You met Shinji on the way in" Grimmjow stated, his grin diminishing a little as he took in Ichigo's expression, "You talked to the guy, gave him a ride, but you didn't share your last name"

Ichigo stared at Grimmjow, willing him to continue. He wasn't even going to ask how he knew all this, he just wanted the man to spill.

"When I followed you here, naturally I stopped by Shinji's hideout to see if they had seen ya. 'Course, if you'd waited till I said it was safe to come to tha' city, this would have been a lot easier fer the both of us. I know Shinji, even before the outbreak, now he helps me out when I make my runs into the city-"

"Just get on with it Grim. What about my family"

Grimmjow huffed, shaking his head at the other male with an amused expression , "You gotta share your last name when you introduce yourself to others Ichi. The Kurosaki's are at Shinij's hideout"

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><p>First off I want to thank all the reviewers who have continued to send me lovely words even though I seemed to have abandoned this story. I don't really want to look at the date of the last post, because its just going to make me feel worse.<p>

I mean, I get it when a writer stops a story. People loose there juice and thats fine. But I _hate _writers that stop on a cliffhanger. It's impolite and rude, and I am a horrible person for leaving you with that final gunshot ringing out.

So I'm back and looking to finish this. A lot has happened in my life over the last year or so, so I think some good old writing therapy is just the thing right now. And, you know, killing zombies is always a blast.

Now last time I was writing this, I had a few betas that I have lost touch with. If ANYONE is willing to take on that job and help be bounce ideas off them, I would love to bring you in. Its been such a long time, I will need to re-imagine some of the plot that I had written out.

ANYWHO! Im back! Yayy! Excited to get the ball rolling again and kill some zombies...and give you all that GrimmIchi moment you have been waiting for.

Hope you don't all hate me and this chapter is to your liking. Reviews are loved, they are what brought me back in the first place 3


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p><strong><em>Chapter Nine,<em>**** Rule 8: Get a Kickass Partner**

Starks bike rattled in the back of the truck bed as the sped along the highway. Ichigo sat shot gun, his face pressed against the cool glass as he stared at the passing streets outside.

Grimmjow was silent as well, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting against the window sill, occasionally reaching up to run through his hair. After explaining that Ichigo's family was indeed alive, the brat had preceded to attempt to beat the shit out of him. Grimmjow was much larger then the shorter orange head, so all he really needed to do was shove the malnourished med student to the ground and threaten to kick him in the stomach. Grimmjow would never actually hurt Ichigo, but they kid really needed to learn when to pick his fights.

So they proceeded to drive in silence, Ichigo wallowing in the passenger seat while Grimmjow drove. He expected the kid to be excited, they were finally only their way to see his family, but he seemed to be lost in thought as he ignored Grimmjow and stared out that damn window.

Ichigo was happy. He was beyond ecstatic, the thought of finally meeting up with his family had his heart racing a mile a minute. But, as his thoughts had bloomed out of the darkness only an hour ago, he couldn't help but let those dark thoughts seep back into his happiness. His family was alive, but that also meant they were living. Living in this shit hole of a world, where they could die at any moment and be forced to become one of the hideous demonic flesh eaters that roamed the streets. Ichigo was suddenly doubting whether is was better to be dead or alive in this world, cause either way you were never going to get the chance at life that you deserve. His sisters would never get to go to school like they once did, his dad would never cry over that stupid poster of their mom. They would constantly be fighting for their lives, constantly-

"Ichigo" Grimmjow's gruff voice broke through his thoughts and he turned his head to stare at the blue haired man next to him, "You gotta snap out of it. Your sisters aren't gonna want to see ya like this. Whatever's eatin' at you, shove it away. We can talk about it later or somethin'…"

Grimmjow kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, but Ichigo could hear the worry in his voice. Ichigo smiled softly and nodded, "Your right…" He mumbled, then situated himself more comfortably in the seat so he wasn't so far in the corner, "So how do you know Shinji?"

"Aw, you don't want to hear that shit" Grimmjow barked out a laugh.

"Sure I do, come on, or I'll go back to staring out the window" The orange head smirked and raised a brow, daring the other man to turn him down now.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and huffed, switching hands on the steering wheel as he drove the car around a large pile of soppy looking bodies, "Alright, fuck. Well, I dealt before the apocalypse, mostly hard shit and occasionally weed. I met Shinji when I…"

_A younger Grimmjow leaned against a dirty wall, dark brown stains splashed against its once white surface. A joint hung from his fingers, occasionally drifting up to his parted lips for a drag. He wore a large sweatshirt, the hood pulled over his head to hide his bright blue hair. His jeans were baggy, handing low on his hips and bunching over his white kicks. The sky had long since fallen into darkness, bathing the street Grimmjow stood in with lamp light from the street lights above._

_The asshole he was waiting for was late and he was starting to get pissed. Course, he could always leave, but Grimmjow needed the money to get groceries on the way home. He knew his mom was probably piss drunk and would need something in her stomach to avoid another night on the toilet. But he had to get up for school in the morning and it was almost 10pm…he hadn't even started on his homework yet and he had a test tomorrow._

_Car lights filled the area, forcing Grimmjow to cover his eyes at the blare of light. He swore and turned his body away, hoping the car would just continue on, but instead it parked right in front of him. Grimmjow looked up just as the all the doors of the SUV swung open and out poured a gang of Mexican thugs, probably from the rival drug group that butted heads with Aizens crew. Light blue eyes widened as he caught sight of the glint of a metal bat in the headlights while the five guys stalked towards them._

_"Eh', that Blue there? Knew I recognized 'im" One of them called out and Grimmjow swore, tugging the hood further down his head. He tried to keep his blue locks hidden, but assholes like this always managed to catch sight of it even when he was hidden in the darkness. The men surrounded him, each with their own smug grin plastered across their face. Grimmjow could fight, but he had no chance against five armed men that already had him backed into a corner._

_"Go fuck yourselves assholes" He growled out, harsh eyes glaring at the men around him. The all laughed, one of them even spitting in his direction._

_"Sorry Blue, but we got orders to leave you a message. Ain't gonna be a pretty one too"._

_The pain of the bat swung into his stomach was incredible. He coughed, his joint falling to the ground in a soft billow of smoke as he doubled over. Another hit to his back forced him to the ground, his face swashing against the pavement and splitting his cheekbone. The five men then unleashed themselves upon him, kicking and swinging their bat at his curled body. At some point during the onslaught he decided he was dying, there was no way he could make it out of this, when a whistle swang through the hair and stopped the brutal attack on his body._

_He coughed and rolled onto his side, looking up at the lamp light above with hazy eyes. Grimmjow could hear yelling and swearing, then a gunshot, but for the most part he didn't really care. The light was growing, filling up his vision almost to the brink. Death was sort'a slow, he mumbled in his mind just as a dark shadow filled his sight._

_"That's cause your not dying" Someone spoke, causing Grimmjow to frown. Had he said that out loud? Strange, he couldn't even feel his jaw…probably broken…_

_"Alright Blue, don't pass out now. We gotta get you some ice and some weed" The voice let out a chuckle and proceeded to lift Grimmjow's battered body from the pavement. The movement caused the blue haired teens mind to spin, then slip from consciousness._

_He woke up on a futon, staring up at a spinning fan above him. He was stripped down to his light blue boxers, bandages covering his body and ice resting on his left ribs and face._

_"Ayoo, look who's awake! Your early, wasn't expecting ya to rise till evening at least" The same voice called out from behind him._

_Grimmjow twisted his neck, grunting at the pain the movement caused throughout his whole body. What the fuck? The asshole that had stood him up last night stood in the doorway, a cup of steaming something in his mug. He was young, probably the same age as Grimmjow at 18, but much skinnier then the blue haired drug dealer. This guy…Shinji?...had blonde locks cut in a feminine bob on his head and a sharp, angled face, high cheekbones giving him an aristocratic look. He was currently wearing a page-boys hate and Grimmjow's school uniform, which Grimmjow raised his brows at in surprise._

_"The fuck…" Grimmjow growled out as Shinji made his way around to sit on the opposite couch. He had this eerie smile plastered on his face as he stared at Grimmjow and watched him struggle to sit up. He managed to get an elbow under himself and looked over at the blonde haired man angrily, "Where the fuck were you last night?"_

_"Ah, well, I showed up didn't I! Right in the nic' of time I might add, those guys were prepared to kill ya"_

_"How'd you get me out? There was five guys, you couldn't-"_

_Shinji pointed at a gleaming pistol on the coffee table between them, shrugging nonchalantly, "They only had bats on 'em, I had a gun. Just had to remind them who had the upper hand they they took off in that shiny car of theirs", Shinji raised his brows at Grimmjow and pointing at himself, "No need to thank me or anythin'"_

_Grimmjow grunted and twisted his body again, slowly forcing himself up into a sitting position. His ribs screamed at him, most likely broken, and he could feel some heavy bruising on his back, "Yeah, thanks…"_

_Shinji laughed and stood up, heading towards the other room that must have been the kitchen, "I have some breakfast made up, I was just about to head to school, you want some?"_

_"Nah." Grimmjow grumbled as he slowly stood. His stomach felt like it was in knots, probably from the pummeling it took last night. He pulled the ice pack off his ribs and cheek, setting them down on the table just as Shinji walked in._

_"Did you know we went to the same school?"_

_Shinji nodded, his blonde hair swishing with the movement, "Yeah, 'course I know. Who doesn't know you?"_

_Grimmjow laughed, the action causing him to shake down a whine of pain. He looked towards Shinji's slighter form and sighed, "Yer smaller then me, but were about the same height. Think I can borrow a uniform for the day?"_

_"Sure" Shinji replied, "Its going to be a bit small though"_

_They two boys showed up at school, Grimmjow limping along next to Shinji as the walked towards the front door. Other students stared at the odd pair, especially Grimmjow. His button up white shirt was barely holding itself together across his defined chest and his plaid pants fit amazingly tight across his thighs._

_"Everyone probably thinks we had a one night stand" Shinji whispered, grinning widely at the gawking girls they passed._

_Grimmjow grunted, ignoring the looks from the others. He should have stayed home, but he had a frickin' test today that he couldn't miss. Math wasn't his strongest subject so he couldn't take the missed points from a late test. Especially if he ever planned on getting out of this town._

"So Shinji kinda stuck with me for the rest of high school. It was our last year, but we got pretty close. He knew my mom at least. I got Shinji into Aizens crew with me and we became partners." Grimmjow muttered, "When my mom got sick, I gave up my scholarships and stayed in Karakura to help her out. Shinji also stayed, but he jumped out of the crew and enlisted in the military a year later".

"Your mom was sick?" Ichigo asked, furrowing his brows at Grimmjow.

"Breast cancer. We didn't have a lot of money when I was graduating, so kimo wasn't really an option. But I had enough to let her die in the hospital at least. It was better then our shitty apartment"

Ichigo faced forward, his brows still furrowed as he thought. He hadn't expected Grimmjow to be a good student, hell, he thought he hadn't even graduated from high school. And the reason he stayed with the dealing was not for selfish reasons, but for his mom. Clearly, Ichigo had judged the other man wrong.

It only took another ten minutes for them to reach the headquarters Ichigo had dropped Shinji and his crew off at yesterday. They drove down the side street and parked next to the backdoor, letting the truck idle for a moment.

"So, you ready?" Grimmjow asked, glancing at the man next to him. Ichigo was staring straight ahead and for a moment Grimmjow thought he hadn't been heard, but then Ichigo nodded and turned towards him.

He smiled brightly, surprising Grimmjow instantly. Ichigo was an attractive guy, but the amount of light the exuded off of him at that moment left Grimmjow breathless. He wanted to reach forward and kiss him, turn those freckled cheeks pink like he had done before...But instead, he matched Ichigo's wild grin and exited the car.

Shuhei was standing outside the backdoor when Ichigo rounded the car and joined Grimmjow. He didn't look to happy at the appearance of the orange haired man, probably due to Ichigo's freak out last time they were together.

"Shinji around?" Grimmjow asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"He's on a run with Gin" Shuhei answered, flicking his harsh gaze to Ichigo, "Do you two need something?"

"You have a family here under the name Kurosaki, correct?" Grimmjow answered for Ichigo, who had suddenly gone mute. You'd think the kid would be barging in through the door, but under this tattooed mans gaze he had turned meek and silent.

Shuhei looked back at Grimmjow and nodded, "Yes, we do, they came with Urahara's group from his gym a week ago"

Ichigo smiled again, though he still remained silent behind Grimmjow. What was with him? Why wasn't he demanding to be let in to see his family?

"That's his family, so can we-"

"No" Shuhei barked out, his harsh gaze once again landing on Ichigo, "He's not stable. I can't let a risk like him into the compound"

_**Fuck that**_, Shiro growled out inside Ichigo's head, snapping his teeth at the man angrily, _**That fucker better let us in our I'll show him how much of a risk I can be.**_

"What the fuck are you saying?" Grimmjow snapped out, stepping towards the man threateningly, "You're not going to let him see his family? Are you fucking serious?"

Shuhei sighed and gestured towards Ichigo, "He freaked out on us this morning, I'm not letting something like that into a place that we have worked tirelessly to keep safe"

Grimmjow rushed forward, grabbing the barrel of the gun just as Shuhei tried to point it at him. He ripped the gun from the mans hands and then grabbed his head, slamming in downwards into his awaiting knee. As Shuhei feel to the ground, Grimmjow knelt down next to him and pointed the gun at the other mans face. He rested the cold end of the barrel against the mans tattooed cheek, smirking down at him, "Now that we have that sorted out, you gonna let us in?"

Shuhei spat at Grimmjow's dirty combat boots, glaring up at the man, "Fucker" He growled out. Shuhei then attempted to throw his fist into Grimmjow's stomach, but he easily caught in and gripped the hands hand roughly.

"I'd take back what you said 'bout Ichigo. You should be more worried about me freakin' out then 'im" A slow, shark like grin spread across Grimmjow's face as he stared down savagely at the man below him.

"Grimmjow"

The blue haired man in question paused, raising his head to turn back towards the mouth of the alley. Shinji was walking towards them, a silver haired man in tow, large bags in each hand filled to the brim. The clanked as he walked, the sound of tin echoing through the alleyway.

"You need to get better recruits Shinji, this fucker tried to pick a fight with _me_" Grimmjow explained as he stood up, dusting off his knees while turning towards his friend.

Shinji laughed as he reached them and set down the bags next to the door, "Yes well, Shuhei has a stick rammed up his ass. We've been working on it"

At his comment, the black haired man began to sit up, looking extremely dejected and angry. Grimmjow ignored him, still smiling at Shinji while the blonde haired man pounded on the door to be let in. As they waited for the door to open, Shinji glanced back towards Ichigo.

Ichigo still stood next to the car, his eyes cast towards Shuhei who was still struggling to stand up. He knew why the man had acted the way he did and didn't begrudge him for his actions…he was keeping his family safe from the crazies of the world after all, which just happened to mean him.

"So, Ichigo, wish you'd told me you were friends with big Grimm here. I would'a given you the star treatment" Shinji laughed and Ichigo looked up at him, "Actually, _I_ should have recognized that car. Who else would own a big truck like that"

The door opened up then and everyone pilled in, Shuhei bringing up the rear and locking the door behind them. Inside, the place opened up into a massive high ceiling warehouse. Four lines of cots stretched back to the other side of the building, and along one wall cubicles had been erected with various supplied spilling out of them. To their right, someone had built a sort of makeshift kitchen out of camping supplies, the smell of coffee filled the room from the roasting brew on one of the propane cookers. Over twenty people wandered the warehouse, sorted through supplied, or rested on the cots. Ichigo was amazed that so many had survived and were actually thriving inside the city.

Shuhei and Gin went off with the bags of supplies, heading towards the cubicles lining the right wall. Shinji turned towards Grimmjow and Ichigo, his characteristic wide smile in place.

"Pretty cool huh? We managed to get the cots from a hospital, the cubicles are from the office across the street. All the camping stuff we salvaged from a run down Walmart, and then the people sort of wandered to us on their own. The warehouse actually has its own generator, but we don't really use it. Too much noise and the lights attract the undead. So, Ichigo-", Ichigo turned his wide eyes to Shinji as his name was called out, "You ready to meet your family?"

Ichigo followed Shinji to the right, Grimmjow trailing behind them. They passed a cubicle stacked to the top with canned food, then one filled with jugs of water. As they walked down the aisle, Ichigo's heart began to hammer in his chest. His family was alive, and safe, and here, in the amazing little slice of safety. He couldn't have wished for a better outcome.

Shinji stood at the opening of the last cubicle, gesturing for Ichigo to go inside, "Got a new patient for you Doc" Shinji called out.

"What did you do this time Shinji? I told you to-"

Ichigo stared up at the gruff and haggard face of his father, who was looking down at him with an identical expression of disbelief. His dad had aged about ten years since he had last seen him, he could see worry lines on the mans forehead that were deep and wouldn't be going away any time soon. His mouth was thin, his beard overtaking his face like some sort of animal. His mom had hated his dads beard, always said he looked like a gorilla when it grew to long.

"You need a shave, old man" Ichigo choked out before he was enveloped his a bone crushing hug. His dads beard pressed against his check, scratching him roughly. But it was his _dad_, alive and well. Ichigo gripped his old man tight, his face disappearing into his dads shoulder as he tried to hold back tears.

Isshin, on the other hand, was leaking tears into Ichigo's shoulder like a broken dam, holding his boy for dear life. Ichigo had been dead, he was sure of it, but he was here now….

"God Ichigo" He mumbled out against Ichigo's wet shirt, then pulled back to look at him, "You're completely fine, no broken bones or bites or…"

"I'm fine dad" Ichigo said, grinning up at the older man.

"Had my best buddy here on the job, kept your son safe" Shinji called out, interrupting their moment. Isshin cast his eyes up to where Shinji was pointing at Grimmjow, who was standing in the doorway looking mighty uncomfortable.

"You've been taking care of my boy?" Isshin asked and before Grimmjow could reply, he stepped forward and hugged the blue haired man. Isshin was a couple inches taller then Grimmjow and slightly bigger in the muscle department, so there was nothing he could do when the man leaned back and squeezed him off the floor.

He released Grimmjow with a flourish and turned back to Ichigo, who was holding back laughter at Grimmjow's wide eyed, pissed off expression, "Where are the girls?" Ichigo asked excitedly.

Isshin pressed his thin lips together, nodding slowly at Shinji who slipped off into the warehouse, "Listen, Ichigo. When we were escaping Urahara's Gym, something happened-"

"Ichi-ni!" Two voices broke through Isshin's speech and Ichigo turned towards his sisters with a massive grin plastered across his face. But, as he took in the sight before him, he gave pause. Karin raced towards him, tears in her eyes as he leapt upon her brother. Ichigo returned her hug, but his eyes were stuck on the wheelchair being pushed towards him by Shinji.

Yuzu was beaming at him, her eyes filled with tears. She looked unharmed, her adorable pigtails that she always had still in place. She was wearing a large Christmas sweater, the sleeves rolled up so she could grip the handles of her chair. But it was her right leg that Ichigo was staring at, his eyes wide as the tears he had been holding back finally spilled out. Half way down the thigh, Yuzu's leg was non existent. Her sweat pants had been tied off at the end of her stump, but Ichigo could tell that the procedure had been a medical one. Yuzu had lost her leg, had it ripped from her body-

**_Calm down Abiou_**

Shiro's voice filtered through his mind, seeping into his raging emotions and wrapping him in a thin layer of snow. It seeped through his being, allowing him to calm down enough to grasp Yuzu's hand as he reached him. With one arm wrapped around Karin, who was still sobbing into his shoulder, he kneeled before Yuzu's chair and gazed up at her with love and sadness and regret.

"I'm so happy your alive, Ichi-ni" She sobbed out, running her free hand through Ichigo's orange hair tenderly. Ichigo let loose a sob, staring up at his broken sister as he clutched the other to his side.

"I know Yuzu, I'm so happy I'm alive too"

* * *

><p>Listened to Murder in the City by the Avett Brothers during Ichigo's reunion with his family.<p>

Made me smile to write it, it's been a long time coming.

Reviews are lovely and help me know that I'm doing a good job. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me back, I'm happy to get this on a roll. And look! I posted! And it didn't take a year! Haha...


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